Exercise Habits, Including Exercising With Partners, and the Prevalence of Self-Reported Constipation in Young...

Constipation is a very common medical issue among the general population worldwide. However, the association between exercise habits and constipation is still not fully understood. Additionally, no evidence regarding the association between exercise partners and constipation exists. This study aimed to evaluate this issue in a young Japanese population, taking the presence or absence of an exercise partner as an additional variable.

The study subjects consisted of 12,497 Japanese university students. Information on constipation, exercise frequency, exercise intensity, and exercise partners was obtained through a self-administered questionnaire. Constipation was defined as present if a student answered "Yes" to the question, "Have you been constipated often recently?"

The prevalence of self-reported constipation was 6.5%. Frequency and intensity of exercise were independently inversely associated with constipation. After adjustment for age, body mass index, drinking, smoking, anemia, and sports injury, exercise with groups and friends was independently inversely associated with constipation (groups: adjusted odds ratio (OR) - 0.70 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.53-0.90), friends: adjusted OR - 0.56 (95% CI: 0.42-0.74)). After further adjustment by adding intensity and frequency of exercise to confounding factors, only the association between exercise with friends and constipation was still significant (adjusted OR: 0.61 (95% CI: 0.39-0.96)).

In this young Japanese population, the frequency and the intensity of exercise and the presence of exercise partners might be independently inversely associated with self-reported constipation. Exercising, especially exercising with others, may have a preventive effect on constipation, and opportunities to exercise with others should be provided.