Constipation in Iran: SEPAHAN Systematic Review No. 5

BACKGROUND: Constipation is physically and mentally troublesome for many patients and has adverse effects on their quality of life. The aim of the present study was to systematically review previous studies on the epidemiology of constipation in Iran. METHODS: Bibliographic databases including PubMed, Google Scholar, and Iranian databases including Scientific Information Database, Iran Medex, and Magiran were searched to select studies that reported the prevalence of constipation in Iran. RESULTS: Overall, 10 articles met the inclusion criteria of the current study. The prevalence of constipation in Iran ranged from 1.4-37%, and the prevalence of functional constipation was reported to be 2.4-11.2%. Gender, age, socioeconomic status and educational level seem to have major effects on this condition. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of constipation is high in Iran. There are very few data available regarding the natural history, quality of life and risk factors of constipation in our country. Conducting population-based studies is necessary to explore different epidemiological aspects of constipation in Iran.