Constipation in Iran: Sepahan Systematic Review No. 5



Iraji N¹ ; Keshteli AH² ; Sadeghpour S¹ ; Daneshpajouhnejad P¹ ; Fazel M¹ ; Adibi P²
Source: International Journal of Preventive Medicine Published:2012

Abstract

Background: Constipation is physically and mentally troublesome for many patients with adverse effects of their quality of life. The aim of the present study was to review previous studies on the epidemiology of constipation in Iran, systematically. 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 prevalence of constipation in Iran. Results: Overall, 10 articles met the criteria to be included in the current study. The prevalence of constipation in Iran ranged from 1.4-37 %, and prevalence of functional constipation was reported to be 2.4-32.9 %. Female gender, age, socioeconomic status and educational level seem to have major effects. Conclusion: The prevalence of constipation is high in Iran. A few data is available regarding the natural history, quality of life and risk factors of constipation in our country. Conducting populationbased studies is necessary to explore different epidemiological aspects of constipation in Iran.