2016 Volume 15 Issue 2 Pages 154-162
The validity of a flowchart for determining bowel movement conditions was investigated by using the degree of coincidence of classification factors based on newly collected data and bowel movement awareness, as well as bowel movement pattern classification. After using a flowchart to the classify 2-week bowel movement records of 38 healthy adults, a mixed group of adults with constipation and diarrhea were included in the “Constipation Class I” and adults with episodes of constipation and diarrhea within the 2-week period that could not be considered as “Normal” were included in “Normal Class I” The criteria were redefined after considering the percentages from each week. Based on the stool form, the “Diarrhea Class” was classified as adults with “shapeless, soft stool 1 out of 2 times, or more” and “the Mixed Class” was classified as adults with “soft stool 1 out of 2 times per week, or more. ” Flowchart 2 was created to classify the Observation-required Class as having “hard stool 1 out of 5 times, or more in the remaining week” and the “Constipation Class I and Constipation Class II” “Normal Class” as having hard stool “1 out of 5 times per week, or more” (stool form) and “7 days or fewer in 2 weeks” (number of days of bowel movements), respectively. A moderate degree of coincidence was observed between the bowel movement classification of revised version and bowel movement awareness.
