Parents’ knowledge and concerns about chronic constipation in children

Chronic constipation in the pediatric age group is one of the major health problems that has a significant impact on both the child and the family. In most cases, constipation has no recognizable underlying organic cause (functional), but there are certainly many serious medical and surgical conditions that should be considered. Objective. To analyze the parents’ knowledge and concerns about the problem of chronic constipation in their children. Patients and methods. This article presents a cross-sectional study involving parents of children with chronic constipation. The study was conducted from January 2022 to January 2023. Questionnaires were obtained from patients’ families during their visits to outpatient and private clinics as well as inpatient facilities in Basrah city, southern Iraq. Parents were interviewed about their knowledge and concerns regarding the impact of chronic constipation and its treatment on quality of life, as well as the main symptoms of the condition in children. Results. A total of 157 children with chronic constipation were included in this study, of which 97 (61.8%) were males and 60 (38%) were females. The duration of constipation was found to be significantly influenced by parental education level and income. The main family concern caused by prolonged constipation was the need for surgical intervention – in 95 (60.5%) cases. Most parents were not aware of the causes of constipation in their children (60 (38.2%)). The disease significantly affected the quality of life of children and their parents (128 (82.2%)). Conclusion. Chronic constipation in children has a significant impact on the life quality of parents and is a cause of concern. The duration of constipation was influenced by parental education level and family income. Key words: chronic constipation, family concern, chronic symptoms