title: Evaluation of familial aggregation, vegetable consumption, legumes consumption, and physical activity on functional constipation in families of children with functional constipation versus children without constipation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Constipation is a frequent complication in paediatrics. Most of the constipation is functional. Functional constipation constitutes 25% of visits in paediatric gastroenterology clinics. Two studies were published regarding aggregation or clustering of functional constipation. Only one of these research projects was about a paediatric population.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To elucidate the cluster pattern of constipation among the families of children with constipation.
  
  
  METHODS
  This case-control study was carried out on the families of 37 children < 18 years old with chronic functional constipation and the families of 37 healthy children as controls. Cases were enrolled in the study according to Rome III criteria for constipation. The control group was selected from children < 18 years old who visited the well baby clinic of the university. Parents and siblings were evaluated regarding constipation. Rome II and III were used for evaluation of constipation for adults and children, respectively. Data was analysed using SPSS (Chicago, IL, USA). The χ(2) and t-test were used for comparison.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Physical activity and vegetable consumption were seen more frequently in the control group compared to the cases, but these differences were statistically insignificant. Constipation in mothers was significantly higher in the case group compared to the control group (p = 0.015). There was no significant difference between the two groups regarding exercise and vegetable consumption.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The frequency of constipation among mothers was significantly higher in the case group compared to the control group. Another study is recommended in a larger population for evaluation of genetic background, diet, physical activity, and familial clustering among mothers of children with constipation.
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterohepatology Research Center, Shiraz Transplant Research Center, Nemazee Teaching Hospital, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Seyed Mohsen
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Dehghani
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Nemazee Teaching Hospital, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Moravej
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Nemazee Teaching Hospital, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Elahe
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rajaei
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterohepatology Research Center, Shiraz Transplant Research Center, Nemazee Teaching Hospital, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
authors.forename: Hazhir
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Javaherizadeh
keywords: Rome III; functional constipation; physical activity; vegetable consumption