Risk factors associated with lower defecation frequency in hospitalized older adults: a case control study

BMC Geriatrics

Table 2 Odds ratio for the risk factors associated with lower defecation frequency (DF) among hospitalized older adults in the multiple logistic regression model

Variables^a	Case [N = 406] (Yes/No)	Control [N = 670] (Yes/No)	Crude OR [95% CI]	Adjusted OR [95% CI] (406 cases, 666 controls)
Age (in years)	--	--	0.99 [0.97, 1.00]	1.0 [0.98, 1.02]
Gender (female = 1; male = 0)	260/146	440/230	0.93 [0.72, 1.20]	1.05 [0.80, 1.38]
AECOPD	66/340	81/589	1.41 [0.99, 2.01]	1.47 [1.01, 2.13] ^c
Pneumonia	81/325	126/544	1.08 [0.79, 1.47]	1.29 [0.92, 1.80]
Acute CHF	52/354	81/589	1.07 [0.74, 1.55]	1.22 [0.82, 1.81]
Current smoking	53/353	70/596	1.28 [0.87, 1.87]	1.08 [0.72, 1.62]
History of cognitive impairment	51/355	114/556	0.70 [0.49, 1.00]	0.82 [0.56, 1.21]
Medication uses
Muscle relaxants	17/389	11/659	2.62 [1.21, 5.65]	2.94 [1.29, 6.69]^c
Anti-cholinergic drugs^b	88/318	180/490	0.75 [0.56, 1.01]	0.78 [0.58, 1.07]
Potassium supplement	74/332	189/481	0.57 [0.42, 0.77]	0.64 [0.46, 0.89]^c
Calcium supplement	64/342	143/527	0.69 [0.50, 0.95]	0.76 [0.54, 1.07]
Iron supplement	26/380	79/591	0.51 [0.32, 0.81]	0.57 [0.35, 0.92]^c
Diuretics	178/228	336/334	0.78 [0.61, 0.99]	0.87 [0.67, 1.14]
Narcotics	106/300	175/495	1.00 [0.75, 1.32]	1.07 [0.79, 1.44]
Antibiotics	32/374	102/568	0.48 [0.31, 0.72]	0.45 [0.29, 0.69]^c

^aVariables were dichotomized as 1 = yes, 0 = no (baseline) unless stated otherwise. The adjusted OR with a 95% CI for the association between a risk factor and the presence of lower DF was estimated after adjusting for all other variables listed in this Table.
^bAnticholinergic drugs include antipsychotics, H1 antihistamines, anti-muscarinic receptor blocker, and antispasmodic drugs.
^cSignificant (p < 0.05).
Regression diagnostics showed no collinearity among risk factors, no noticeable outlier, no influential or ill-fitted observations, and the model fit data very well (Chi-square =6.77, df = 8, p = 0.56, Hosmer and Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test).
Abbreviations:AECOPD acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, CHF congestive heart failure, CI confidence interval, OR odds ratio.

ISSN: 1471-2318