Constipação funcional em adolescentes e fatores associados

Abstract

Functional constipation (FC) has a prevalence ranging from 0.5% to 32.2%, constituting an important problem for adolescent health worldwide. The study aims to analyze the association of FC with behaviors related to health and physical fitness in adolescents. This is a crosssectional and analytical study, with a representative sample of adolescents from public schools, selected by probabilistic sampling, carried out in 2017. FC was investigated using the Rome III criteria. Adolescents were assessed for demographic factors (age group, sex), health-related behaviors (consumption of dietary fiber, sedentary behavior, active participation in physical education classes) and physical fitness (cardiorespiratory fitness, body mass index - BMI, abdominal strength). For physical fitness, physical tests (six-minute running / walking test and abdominal strength test) and anthropometric measures (weight, height) were used. Descriptive analyzes of the investigated variables were carried out through their distributions and frequencies, being considered corrections due to the design effect. After bivariate analysis, associated variables up to the level of 25% (p ≤ 0.25) were analyzed together, through logistic regression. The final level of significance assumed was 5% (p≤ 0.05). This study met the ethical precepts established by Resolution no. 466/2012, approved by the Research Ethics Committee, under protocol No. 1,908,982. 880 adolescents between the 6th and 9th grade, aged 11 to 19 years participated in the research. The mean age was 13 years (SD: 1.22), 52% of whom were female. The prevalence of FC was 13.8%. In the final model, the variables that were associated with FC were inadequate consumption of food sources of dietary fiber (OR = 2.28; 95% CI = 1.89-2.76), sedentary behavior (OR = 1.30; CI95 % = 1.09-1.58), not actively participating in physical education classes (OR = 2.94; 95% CI = 2.54-3.40), overweight (OR = 1.36; 95% CI = 1.17-1.60) and be in the risk zone for abdominal resistance (OR = 1.38; 95% CI = 1.19-1.60). The association with cardiorespiratory fitness was not observed. The adoption of healthy life habits, with regular consumption of fibers, reduction of sedentary behavior, regular practice of physical activity and weight control, can be useful in the prevention and management of functional constipation in adolescents.