Faecal incontinence may respond to diet change
13 September 2011
Increasing fibre and fluid intake could help the one in 10 elderly women who experience regular faecal incontinence, a researcher says.
Data from almost 5000 women aged 82–87 years, who participated in the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health, showed 10.7 per cent experienced faecal incontinence once a month.
One of the major predictors of faecal incontinence was eating less fruit, the study found.
"Vegetables and fruit provide dietary fibre which bulks bowel motions," said Dr Magnus Halland, from the Faculty of Health, University of Newcastle. A protective effect was seen in women who drank more than 2 cups of non-alcoholic liquid daily.
The research was to be presented at Australian Gastroenterology Week 2011 in Brisbane (12-15 Sep 2011).
Last Reviewed: 16 September 2011
