The Relationship between Functional Constipation and Major Dietary Patterns in Iranian Adults: Findings from the Large Cross-Sectional Population-Based SEPAHAN Study

Nutritional and lifestyle predictors of rectal bleeding in functional constipation: A machine learning approach

BACKGROUND

Rectal bleeding among young adults is an increasingly common clinical concern often linked with chronic constipation and unhealthy lifestyle habits. Early identification of at-risk individuals through machine learning models-based approach may help in prevention and targeted intervention.

OBJECTIVES

We aim to identify dietary and lifestyle risk factors for rectal bleeding and to develop machine learning-based models for risk prediction.

METHODS

A descriptive observational study was conducted on 875 Indian college going participants. A structured questionnaire assessed fiber intake, physical activity, constipation symptoms, and body mass index (BMI). Multiple machine learning algorithms were evaluated, and their performance was assessed using accuracy and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC-AUC).

RESULTS

Low intake of boiled vegetables or oatmeal (<50 g/day) was associated with a 43.92 % bleeding rate (p < 0.001). Participants consuming inadequate whole grains (>25 g/day) showed a 44.81 % bleeding rate. Overweight or obese individuals exhibited a significantly higher bleeding incidence (12.26 %) than those with normal BMI (5.55 %; p = 0.008). The KNeighbors Classifier showed the highest accuracy (98.86 %) and ROC-AUC (0.994). Variables related to symptoms had greater predictive importance than those related to lifestyle.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings support the role of dietary fiber and BMI in the development of rectal bleeding in constipated individuals. The predictive models demonstrate strong potential for identifying at-risk individuals and is considered a simple and useful tool for predicting rectal bleeding in functional constipation, suggesting preventive health strategies and dietary modifications. This novel algorithm might enable clinicians to perform personalized dietary strategies with improved clinical outcomes. Further validation across larger and more diverse populations is recommended.

Factors Associated with Functional Constipation among Students of a Chinese University: A Cross-Sectional Study

Functional constipation (FC) is prevalent worldwide and is an increasingly prominent problem among university students. However, there is a paucity of research on FC in university students. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of FC among Chinese university students by the Rome III criteria and investigate its associated factors. This cross-sectional study was conducted by online questionnaires among 929 university students at a Chinese university. Food consumption was assessed with the Semi-Quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (SQFFQ) and dietary patterns were analyzed using factor analysis. A binary logistic regression model was applied to clarify FC-associated factors. The prevalence of FC among university students was 5.1%. Interestingly, among university students, the prevalence of FC with “complex” dietary pattern was significantly higher than those with “vegetable, fruit, egg and milk-based” and “livestock and aquatic product-based” dietary pattern (9.9% vs. 3.1% vs. 2.8%, p < 0.001). The prevalence of FC was significantly higher among university students with moderate to severe sleep disorders than those with the other sleep status (χ2 = 18.100, p < 0.001). Furthermore, after adjusting the covariates, “complex” dietary pattern (OR = 4.023, p < 0.001), moderate to severe sleep disorders (OR = 3.003, p = 0.006), overeating (OR = 2.502, p = 0.032), long mealtime (>30 min) (OR = 6.001, p = 0.007), and poor defecation habits (OR = 3.069, p = 0.042) were positively associated with FC among university students. Based on the above-associated factors for FC, improving dietary patterns and sleep status and developing good bowel and dietary habits are essential to prevent and alleviate university students’ FC.