[Prevalence of fecal incontinence and its relationship with bowel habit in patients attended in primary care].
OBJECTIVE
Fecal incontinence is a high prevalence disease in general population. The diagnosis of alterations in bowel habit could be of interest for the management of this clinical disorder. The aim of the study was to study the relationship between fecal incontinence prevalence and alteration of bowel habit in patients of a metropolitan area of Barcelona.


METHODS
A cross-sectional multicenter study was undertaken by interviewing the population attending 10 primary health centers. The presence of symptoms of fecal incontinence was analyzed and the bowel habit was assessed using the validated Spanish version of Bristol Stool Scale.


RESULTS
A total of 518 subjects were studied with a mean age of 60.3 (SD: Standard deviation 17.7) years. The overall prevalence of fecal incontinence was 10.8% (2.7% incontinence to flatus, 3.7% liquid stool and 4.4% solid stool). There was a normal bowel habit in 75.6% in the group of patients without fecal incontinence and in 54.5% in patients with fecal incontinence (p=0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of fecal incontinence in primary care is high. 45% of patients with fecal incontinence exhibited an abnormal bowel habit.
Maestre
Yolanda
Y
Unidad de Cirugía Colorrectal, Hospital Universitario del Mar, Barcelona, España.
Parés
David
D
Vial
Manuel
M
Bohle
Bernhard
B
Sala
María
M
Grande
Luis
L
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005242:Fecal Incontinence / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005243:Feces; D005260:Female; D005414:Flatulence / Q000453:epidemiology; D006244:Hardness; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D014505:Urban Population; D055815:Young Adult