Bowel Habits and Toilet Training in Rural and Urban Dwelling Children in a Developing Country

ObjectivesTo determine the bowel habits and toilet training of developmentally normal children ages 5 to 8 years in rural and urban areas of the province of Sindh, Pakistan.Study designWe conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study, conducted at households of rural (District Khairpur) and urban (Karachi) areas of Sindh, Pakistan, which enrolled 1000 children between 5 and 8 years of age, (half from rural and half from urban areas). A questionnaire regarding age, ethnicity, and sex was completed by two separate investigators from each setting. Recall information was elicited about bowel habits for the previous 2 weeks and the frequency and quality of stools, size of stools, and dietary habit for the previous 24 hours. A constipation score that was based on modified Rome III criteria was developed for each child.ResultsFunctional constipation was reported 1.6 times more in the rural than the urban population (P < .001). Toilet training was initiated and completed earlier in the urban (18.6 ± 6.8 and 46 ± 12.5 months) than the rural children (28.6 ± 6.1 and 56.5 ± 6.7 months) (P < .001). The daily calorie, macronutrient, fiber, and water intake was higher in the urban population (P < .001). Functional constipation was significantly (P = .016) negatively correlated (r = −0.076) with the fiber intake.ConclusionsFunctional constipation was found more frequently in the rural area. Toilet training was initiated and completed significantly earlier in the urban population.