2002 Volume 12 Issue 4 Pages 335-341
A questionnaire survey was conducted to compare the health consideration and defecation tendencies from 1987 to 1997 of college women living in Sapporo (279 and 146, respectively), Sendai (247 and 183, respectively), and Osaka (209 and 1214, respectively).
1) When questioned about their food habits, the respondents of the three groups, who considered their food intake not to be sufficient to maintain their health, increasedfrom 19% in 1987 to 24% in 1997, with the highest increase in Sendai from 18% in 1987 to 26% in 1997 (difference between the past decade: p+0.05 in total for the three regions and in Sendai).
2) Knowledge about food intake requirements decreased overall from 62% in 1987 to 54% in 1997 (p<0.001 in total of three regions). Positive responses increased from 68% to 86% in Sendai, but decreased from 71% to 51% in Osaka and from 48% to 41% in Sapporo during their decade (p<0.001 in both Sendai and Osaka, and p<0.01 in Sapporo).
3) In 1987 and 1997, 91% and 94% of the students, respectively, considered that constipation could affect their health (p<0.05 in total for the three regions). In Osaka, the positive response increased from 87% to 94% during the decade (p<0.001 in Osaka).
4) The percentage of those with regular bowel movements every day decreased from 27% in 1987 to 22% in 1997, and bowel movements of less than three times a week were reported by 21% and 23% in 1987 and 1997, respectively (p<0.05 in total for the three regions). The respondents from Sendai and Osaka reported an increase in irregular defecation from 18% to 22% and from 12% to 18% during the decade, respectively (p<0.05 in both Sendai and Osaka).
5) Those who had defecation between when they awoke to after breakfast decreased from 46% to 39% from 1987 to 1997, while defecation at irregular times increased from 35% to 56% during the decade, with their increase being the highest in Sapporo (p<0.01 in total for the three regions and in Sapporo, and p<0.05 in both Sendai and Osaka).
