BACKGROUND Constipation and fecal incontinence have a negative influence on quality of life. The association between the severity of fecal problems and quality of life has not been investigated in a non-patient population. OBJECTIVE To investigate the association between the severity of constipation and fecal incontinence and quality of life in non-patients. DESIGN A population-based, cross-sectional study. SETTINGS The study involved 3668 Dutch non-patients. PATIENTS A survey company conducted a population-wide study of the general Dutch population. Altogether, 5000 Dutch citizens completed the Groningen Defecation and Fecal Continence and Short-Form 36 questionnaires. The data on 3668 respondents without comorbidities that could influence bowel function were included for analysis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The severity of constipation (Agachan score) and fecal incontinence (Wexner score) in relation to the quality-of-life scores. RESULTS In the non-patient population (n = 3668), 487 (13.3%) had constipation, 116 (3.2%) had fecal incontinence, and the two fecal problems coexisted in 64 (1.7%). In the multivariable analysis, all quality-of-life domains were negatively associated with the severity of constipation and fecal incontinence. The associations between the severity of constipation and quality of life were stronger (highest: ß = -2.413, 95% CI, -2.681 to -2.145, p = < 0.001) than those of fecal incontinence (highest: ß = -1.280, 95% CI, -1.681 to -.880, p = < 0.001). We also found that a longer duration of bowel complaints coincided with higher severity scores, especially for constipation. Mostly, respondents rated their defecation health as positive, regardless of the severity of their fecal problems. LIMITATIONS Cross-sectional design. CONCLUSIONS The severity of constipation and fecal incontinence is significantly associated with reduced quality of life, with the severity of constipation having stronger associations than fecal incontinence. Given respondents' unawareness of their fecal problems and the progressive character thereof, timely intervention is advocated.

中文翻译：

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粪便问题的严重程度与无耐心的荷兰人群的生活质量呈负相关。

背景技术便秘和大便失禁对生活质量具有负面影响。尚未在非患者群体中研究粪便问题的严重程度与生活质量之间的关联。目的 调查非患者便秘和大便失禁的严重程度与生活质量之间的关系。设计一项基于人群的横断面研究。研究背景 该研究涉及 3668 名荷兰非患者。患者 一家调查公司对荷兰普通民众进行了一项全人口研究。共有 5000 名荷兰公民完成了格罗宁根排便和大便失禁以及简式 36 份问卷。3668 名没有可能影响肠道功能的合并症的受访者的数据被纳入分析。主要观察指标 便秘严重程度（Agachan 评分）和大便失禁（Wexner 评分）与生活质量评分的关系。结果 在非患者人群（n = 3668）中，487 例（13.3%）有便秘，116 例（3.2%）有大便失禁，64 例（1.7%）同时存在两种粪便问题。在多变量分析中，所有生活质量领域均与便秘和大便失禁的严重程度呈负相关。便秘严重程度与生活质量之间的关联性（最高：ß = -2.413，95% CI，-2.681 至 -2.145，p = < 0.001）强于大便失禁（最高：ß = -1.280，95） % CI，-1.681 至 -.880，p = < 0.001）。我们还发现，肠道不适持续时间越长，严重程度评分越高，尤其是便秘。大多数情况下，无论粪便问题的严重程度如何，受访者都认为自己的排便健康状况良好。局限性 横截面设计。结论 便秘和大便失禁的严重程度与生活质量下降显着相关，其中便秘的严重程度比大便失禁的相关性更强。鉴于受访者对自身粪便问题的意识不强，且具有渐进性，建议及时干预。