title: Lifestyle and bowel movements in school children: Results from the Toyama Birth Cohort Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Constipation is a prevalent health disorder. There have been few epidemiological surveys on constipation in Japanese children. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of non-daily bowel movements (BM) and irregular BM among children and to identify modifiable lifestyle factors relevant to bowel habits.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects were from the Toyama Birth Cohort Study in Japan. A total of 7762 children aged 9-10 years were investigated via questionnaire in 1999. We evaluated bowel habit and the relationship between lifestyle and BM. Non-daily BM and totally irregular BM were defined as dependent variables in the present study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Non-daily BM were reported by 21.8% of boys and by 31.6% of girls, while 10.6% of boys and 18.3% of girls had totally irregular BM. Non-daily BM were significantly associated with skipping breakfast (OR, 1.23), slow eating (OR, 1.13), physical inactivity (OR, 1.50) and late wake up (OR, 1.29). Totally irregular BM were significantly correlated with skipping breakfast (OR, 1.30), slow eating (OR, 1.41), physical inactivity (OR, 1.27), long TV viewing (OR, 1.52), late bedtime (OR, 1.43), and short sleep duration (OR, 1.33). More girls had non-daily and totally irregular BM than boys, and these sex differences were not reduced after adjusting for lifestyle variables.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Non-daily and totally irregular BM are common in children, and there are many relevant lifestyle factors. Establishing regular lifestyle habits may lessen constipation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Health Policy, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Health Policy, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.
authors.forename: Michikazu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sekine
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Health Policy, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tatsuse
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003248:Constipation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors
keywords: Toyama Birth Cohort Study; bowel habit; constipation; irregularity; sex difference