Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32296858›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of clinical pharmacology2020

Use of over-the-counter laxatives by community-dwelling adults to treat and prevent constipation: a national cross-sectional study.

Barry L Werth, Kylie A Williams, Murray J Fisher, Lisa G Pont

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Article in European journal of clinical pharmacology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
1.3field-weighted citation impact, top 20% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Barry L WerthSusan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia. bwer8557@uni.sydney.edu.au.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2040-3707
Kylie A WilliamsDiscipline of Pharmacy, Graduate School of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2007, Australia.
Murray J FisherSusan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
Lisa G PontSusan Wakil School of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
The University of Sydney · AUUniversity of Technology Sydney · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeConstipation is commonly self-managed with over-the-counter laxatives. The study aim was to explore laxative choice, healthcare professional recommendations in laxative selection, and laxative effectiveness when laxatives are used for treatment and for prevention of constipation by community-dwelling adults.

methodsA nationally representative sample of community-dwelling adults in Australia was surveyed. Participants completed an online questionnaire. Z tests for differences in proportions were used to compare the proportion of laxatives by class when used either for treatment or for prevention of constipation by choice of laxative, healthcare professional recommendation, and perceived effectiveness.

resultsThe questionnaire was completed by 2024 participants. Laxatives were used by 37% (n = 747) of participants with 31.3% using laxatives for treatment, 19.3% for prevention, and 49.7% using laxatives for both purposes. The most common laxatives used for treatment and prevention were contact laxatives (39.8% and 31.1% respectively) and bulk-forming laxatives (34.3% and 44.6% respectively). Of all laxatives used, 56.4% of laxatives were chosen with healthcare professional recommendation, and 53.5% of laxatives were found effective.

conclusionLaxatives were used both for treatment and for prevention of constipation. However, laxatives are often perceived to be ineffective and healthcare professionals are not always involved in laxative choice. Modified guidelines which address the use of laxatives for both treatment and prevention, and increased healthcare professional involvement in appropriate choice and use of laxatives, may be required to improve constipation management in the community.

Indexed as

AdolescentAdultAgedAustraliaConstipationCross-Sectional StudiesDrug UtilizationFemaleHumansIndependent LivingLaxativesMaleMiddle AgedNonprescription DrugsSurveys and QuestionnairesYoung AdultLaxativesNonprescription DrugsAdultAustraliaCommunityConstipationHealthcare surveysLaxative

Identifiers

PMID32296858
OpenAlexW3016781426

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.