SAGE Open Medicine (Apr 2023)

Regional and seasonal variations in functional abdominal pain and functional constipation prevalence among Saudi children

  • Ammar Khayat,
  • Sarah Salem Aldharman,
  • Njoud Naif Alharbi,
  • Abdulaziz Saad Alayyaf,
  • Jannat Abdullah abdulmuttalib,
  • Elaf Rudda Altalhi

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1177/20503121231163519
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11

Abstract

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Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate functional abdominal pain disorders and functional constipation prevalence in the central region of Saudi Arabia, and compare it to that of the western region. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study using online questionnaires targeting the general population of Riyadh region of Saudi Arabia. Subjects were randomly selected by sharing links on social media groups. Any parent with a 3–18-year-old child was included, and children with chronic medical illnesses or symptoms of organic GI disorders were excluded. Results: Three hundred nineteen subjects were included in the final analysis; the prevalence of functional abdominal pain disorders overall was 6.2% and the prevalence of functional constipation was 8.1%. Conclusions: Functional constipation diagnosis seems to be affected by life stressors or a previous viral illness. Seasonal variations had minimal effect on functional abdominal pain disorder and functional constipation symptom frequency and severity.