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Table 4 Patient Assessment of Constipation-Symptoms (PAC-SYM) score (inter quartile range (IQR)) and proportion of respondents experiencing symptoms of constipation within two weeks (95% confidence interval (CI)) among men and women aged 50–74 years (N = 4086)

From: Prevalence of self-reported abdominal symptoms among 50–74-years-old men and women eligible for colorectal cancer screening –a cross-sectional study

 

Total

% (95% CI)

Women

% (95% CI)

Men

% (95% CI)

N = 4086

50-64y

n = 1092

65-74y

n = 969

All

n = 2061

50–64 y

n = 997

65-74y

n = 1028

All

n = 2025

PAC-SYM score median (IQR)

0.33 (0.17;0.75)

0.50 (0.25;0.92)

0.33 (0.17;0.75)

0.42 (0.17;0.83)

0.33 (0.08;0.67)

0.33 (0.08;0.58)

0.33 (0.08;0.67)

Abdominal score median (IQR)

0.50 (0.00;1.00)

0.50 (0.00;1.25)

0.25 (0.00;0.75)

0.50 (0.25;1.00)

0.50 (0.00;1.00)

0.25 (0.00;0.75)

0.25 (0.00;0.75)

Rectal score median (IQR)

0.00 (0.00;0.33)

0.00 (0.00;0.67)

0.00 (0.00;0.33)

0.00 (0.00;0.33)

0.00 (0.00;0.33)

0.00 (0.00;0.33)

0.00 (0.00;0.33)

Stool score median (IQR)

0.40 (0.00;0.80)

0.60 (0.20;1.00)

0.40 (0.00;1.00)

0.40 (0.20;1.00)

0.40 (0.00;0.80)

0.40 (0.00;0.80)

0.40 (0.00;0.80)

Abdominal symptomsa

 Discomfort in your abdomen

2.2 (1.9;2.7)

3.4 (2.6;4.5)

2.0 (1.3;3.0)

2.8 (2.2;3.5)

1.8 (1.2;2.6)

1.5 (0.9;2.4)

1.7 (1.2;2.2)

 Pain in your abdomen

2.2 (1.8;2.6)

3.4 (2.5;4.4)

2.0 (1.3;3.0)

2.8 (2.2;3.5)

1.6 (1.0;2.4)

1.5 (0.9;2.4)

1.6 (1.1;2.1)

 Bloating in your abdomen

6.5 (5.8;7.2)

11.0 (9.5;12.7)

5.5 (4.3;7.0)

8.6 (7.6;9.7)

5.3 (4.2;6.6)

3.3 (2.4;4.5)

4.3 (3.6;5.2)

 Stomach cramps

1.7 (1.4;2.1)

2.7 (2.0;3.7)

1.4 (0.8;2.2)

2.1 (1.6;2.7)

1.6 (9.9;2.4)

1.0 (0.5;1.7)

1.3 (0.9;1.8)

Rectal symptomsa

 Painful bowel movements

1.2 (0.9;1.5)

1.7 (1.1;2.5)

1.4 (0.8;2.2)

1.5 (1.1;2.1)

0.9 (0.5;1.6)

0.6 (0.3;1.2)

0.8 (0.5;1.2)

 Rectal burning during or after a bowel movement

1.7 (1.4;2.1)

2.3 (1.6;3.1)

1.5 (0.9;2.3)

1.9 (1.4;2.5)

2.0 (1.3;2.9)

1.1 (0.6;1.8)

1.6 (1.1;2.1)

 Rectal bleeding or tearing during or after a bowel movement

1.4 (1.1;1.8)

2.2 (1.5;3.1)

1.2 (0.7;2.0)

1.8 (1.3;2.3)

1.5 (0.9;2.3)

0.7 (3.2;1.3)

1.1 (0.8;1.6)

Stool symptomsa

 Incomplete bowel movement, like you didn’t “finish”

3.4 (2.9;3.9)

4.9 (3.8;6.0)

3.6 (2.6;4.7)

4.3 (3.6;5.1)

3.4 (2.5;4.5)

1.5 (0.9;2.4)

2.5 (2.0;3.2)

 Bowel movements that were too hard

2.9 (2.5;3.4)

4.3 (3.3;5.4)

4.0 (3.0;5.3)

4.2 (3.5;5.0)

1.5 (0.9;2.3)

1.6 (1.0;2.4)

1.6 (1.1;2.1)

 Bowel movements that were too small

2.0 (1.7;2.4)

3.2 (2.4;4.2)

1.9 (1.2;2.8)

2.6 (2.1;3.3)

1.6 (1.0;2.4)

1.2 (0.6;1.9)

1.4 (1.0;1.9)

 Straining or squeezing to try to pass bowel movements

4.6 (4.0;5.2)

7.3 (6.1;8.7)

4.8 (3.7;6.2)

6.2 (5.3;7.2)

2.9 (2.1;3.9)

2.9 (2.1;4.0)

2.9 (2.3;3.6)

 Feeling like you have to pass a bowel movement but you couldn’t (false alarm)

2.5 (2.1;2.9)

3.2 (2.4;4.2)

3.1 (2.2;4.2)

3.2 (2.5;3.9)

1.9 (1.2;2.7)

1.6 (1.0;2.5)

1.7 (1.3;2.3)

  1. aProportion experiencing the symptoms as serious or very serious