Children Who Hate Greens More Likely to Be Constipated

Primary school children who do not like eating fruit and vegetables are 13 times more likely to develop functional constipation than children who do, according to a new study.

Researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Hong Kong Polytechnic University (China) studied the diet and toileting habits of 383 children in Hong Kong; 71% of the children were ten years old, 22% were nine years old, and 8% were eight years old. Children who were on regular medication or who paid regular hospital or clinic visits were excluded.

The results of the study found that 7% of the children suffered from functional constipation, and there were clear dietary differences between the children who did and did not have problems. Children who said they did not like fruit or vegetables were 13 times more likely to suffer from functional constipation than children who did; girls were more likely to have functional constipation than boys; and nine-year-olds were more likely to report problems than eight-year-olds and ten-year-olds. The researchers also found that children who only drank 200 mL - 400 mL of fluid a day were eight times more likely to experience problems than children who drank 600 mL – 800 mL, and 14 times more likely than children who drank a liter or more. The study was published in the December 2010 issue of the Journal of Clinical Nursing.

"It is estimated that functional constipation accounts for 95% of cases of constipation affecting children once they pass infancy. The condition has serious consequences, as it can cause a wide range of distressing emotional and physical problems such as stress, soiling, problems at school, damaged self-confidence, and reduced social interaction,” said study coauthor Assistant Professor Moon Fai Chan, PhD, of the National University of Singapore School of Nursing.

According to the researcher, an additional factor was that 9 out of 10 children refused to use the school toilets for bowel movements, and the figure was the same for both children with and without constipation. The biggest problems cited with school toilets were lack of toilet paper, dirty toilets, and that the children preferred to use the toilet at home.

To overcome these issues, the researchers suggest that primary schools should repair the toilets and stock them with sufficient toilet paper; work with healthcare professionals to make children more aware of the problem; educate parents on functional constipation so that they make sure that their diet provides sufficient fluid, vegetables, and fruit, and that children should be encouraged to drink plain water during lessons, and that drinking fountains should be installed in the schools.

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National University of Singapore
Hong Kong Polytechnic University