Epidemiology and Risk Factors of Functional Constipation in Pregnant Women

AIM: To understand the prevalence of functional constipation in pregnant women and to analyze the impact of its risk factors. METHODS: We searched hospital databases for women who were 37–41 weeks pregnant (1698 cases) from July 2012 to January 2014 in four hospitals in Shanghai. We reviewed factors including general data, living and eating habits, psychological history, past history of defecation in the 6 months before pregnancy and defecation after pregnancy. Data were analyzed using SPSS software. RESULTS: Pregnant women who were more than 35 years old, with a pre-pregnancy body mass index >24, who were highly educated and employed in a sedentary occupation, showed a higher prevalence of functional constipation. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that the prevalence of functional constipation among pregnant women was related to age, pre-pregnancy body mass index, diet, exercise, occupation, psychological factors, threatened abortion in early pregnancy and constipation history. CONCLUSION: The prevalence rate of functional constipation in pregnant women was significantly higher than in the general population.