Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2012:2012:947694.
doi: 10.1155/2012/947694. Epub 2011 Sep 25.

Fecal incontinence: prevalence, severity, and quality of life data from an outpatient gastroenterology practice

Eva H Alsheik  1 , Thomas Coyne, Sara K Hawes, Laleh Merikhi, Scott P Naples, Nandhakumar Kanagarajan, James C Reynolds, Scott E Myers, Asyia S Ahmad
Affiliations

Fecal incontinence: prevalence, severity, and quality of life data from an outpatient gastroenterology practice

Eva H Alsheik et al. Gastroenterol Res Pract. 2012.

Abstract

Background. The prevalence of fecal incontinence varies tremendously as a result of inadequate data collection methods. Few office-based studies have assessed the prevalence of fecal incontinence and none have looked at modifiable risk factors or effect on quality of life. Design, Settings, Patients, and Main Outcome Measures. Five hundred patients who visited our inner city, university-based gastroenterology practice, were asked about symptoms of fecal incontinence. We also retrospectively reviewed 500 charts to identify the frequency of patient-physician reporting of fecal incontinence. Results. Of the 500 patients that were directly questioned, 58 (12%, 43 women, 15 men) admitted to fecal incontinence compared to 12 (2.4%) in the retrospective arm. Patients with fecal incontinence and loose/watery stool reported the lowest quality of life scores. While the average severity score was similar between men and women, women had a significantly lower average quality of life score (3.04 versus 2.51; P < 0.03). Conclusions. The identification of fecal incontinence increases when patients are directly questioned. Identifying and treating patients with loose stool is a potential strategy to improve quality of life in this patient population. In men and women with similar severity of fecal incontinence, women have a significantly lower quality of life.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Percent of patients who had previously discussed with a physician, according to type of physician.
Figure 2
Figure 2
FIQL scores. *Significantly lower than lifestyle and depression scales (P < 0.006); **Significantly lower than lifestyle and depression scales (P < 0.003).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Quality of life as a function of severity of fecal incontinence in men (P = 0.75).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Quality of life as a function of severity of fecal incontinence in women (P < 0.001).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Macmillan AK, Merrie AEH, Marshall RJ, Parry BR. The prevalence of fecal incontinence in community-dwelling adults: a systematic review of the literature. Diseases of the Colon and Rectum. 2004;47(8):1341–1349. - PubMed
    1. Norton NJ. The perspective of the patient. Gastroenterology. 2004;126(1):S175–S179. - PubMed
    1. Nelson R, Norton N, Cautley E, Furner S. Community-based prevalence of anal incontinence. Journal of the American Medical Association. 1995;274(7):559–561. - PubMed
    1. Nelson R, Furner S, Jesudason V. Fecal incontinence in Wisconsin nursing homes prevalence and associations. Diseases of the Colon and Rectum. 1998;41(10):1226–1229. - PubMed
    1. Pretlove SJ, Radley S, Toozs-Hobson PM, Thompson PJ, Coomarasamy A, Khan KS. Prevalence of anal incontinence according to age and gender: a systematic review and meta-regression analysis. International Urogynecology Journal and Pelvic Floor Dysfunction. 2006;17(4):407–417. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources