Role of chrononutrition and lifestyle factors in functional constipation

Functional constipation is a common public health problem which may reduce one’s level of productivity and quality of life. Chrononutrition profile involves the relationship between one’s circadian rhythm and the dietary pattern. The objective of this study is to explore the association between chrono nutrition profile and lifestyle pattern of constipated subjects. University teaching faculty (n = 364) was screened using a cross-sectional study design and purposive sampling technique. A pre-tested and validated structured questionnaire was administered to them bearing questions related to their constipation status, chrononutrition profile and lifestyle pattern including diet and physical activity. The data obtained was subjected to statistical analysis using JASP software 2022. The background information of the study participants revealed that most of the respondents were females (59.1%), married (73.1%) and stayed in nuclear families (62.1%) with a family income of > INR 123,322.00 (42.3%) and their age ranged between 35 and 64 years. Functional constipation was observed in 25% of the subjects (n = 90). Physical activity of the study subjects indicated that 83% and 17% were in the sedentary and mildly active categories respectively and it was significantly negatively correlated with presence of FC among the subjects (p < 0.05). No significant correlation was observed with constipation in terms of the working day profile, whereas in terms of a free day profile, chrono nutrition profile showed a significant association (p < 0.05). However, the type of diet consumed by the subjects did not show any significant association with the constipation profile. Functional constipation was observed in 1/4 of the study sample. The findings suggest an association with a poor chrono nutrition profile with the constipation status of the study population on a free day. Further advice can be given to subjects suffering from constipation to improve their lifestyle pattern consistently on both working and free days.