Functional Constipation and Anorexia in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study (KFACS)

Eunjin Jeong, Jung A Kim, Byung Sung Kim, Chang Kyun Lee, Miji Kim and Chang Won Won
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Eunjin Jeong: Department of Family Medicine, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul 02447, Korea
Jung A Kim: Department of Family Medicine, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul 02447, Korea
Byung Sung Kim: Department of Family Medicine, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul 02447, Korea
Chang Kyun Lee: Center for Crohn’s and Colitis, Department of Gastroenterology, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, Seoul 02447, Korea
Miji Kim: Department of Biomedical Science and Technology, College of Medicine/East-West Medical Research Institute, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 02447, Korea
Chang Won Won: Department of Family Medicine, College of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul 02447, Korea

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 11, 1-9

Abstract: Anorexia is a relevant geriatric syndrome because it accounts for most malnutrition in older adults. Constipation has been suggested as a risk factor for anorexia. This study aimed to examine the association between anorexia and functional constipation in community-dwelling older adults. Data on 899 subjects aged 72–86 years were obtained from a follow-up survey of the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study in 2018. Anorexia was assessed using the Simplified Nutritional Appetite Questionnaire (SNAQ), while functional constipation was diagnosed based on Rome IV criteria. Anorexia and functional constipation were present in 30.9% and 19.6% of the participants, respectively. Age, female sex, chewing problems, malnutrition, polypharmacy, low Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) score, depressed mood, low serum albumin, and functional constipation were associated with anorexia in the univariate analysis. In the multivariate logistic regression, functional constipation was associated with anorexia (OR 1.478, 95% CI 1.038–2.104) after adjusting for age, female sex, and MMSE score. However, after further adjusting for depressed mood (OR 2.568) and chewing problems (OR 2.196), the relationship was no longer significant. This study showed that functional constipation is associated with anorexia in community-dwelling older adults, but this association is confounded by depressed mood and chewing problems.

Keywords: anorexia; functional constipation; older adults; aging (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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