The Prevalence of Social Anxiety in Children with Chronic Functional Constipation

Functional constipation (FC) is a common disease in children. This disease can cause many behavioral and mental problems and ultimately reduce the quality of life. Reciprocally, psychological factors can play a role in the development and persistence of FC.

In this study, we aimed to determine the prevalence of social anxiety in children with chronic FC in Arak city, Iran.

In this cross-sectional study, 200 children between 10 - 17 years with chronic FC referred to Amirkabir Hospital in Arak, Iran, which is a specialized center, were enrolled. This study was done in 2022, and the participants' disease was diagnosed based on Rome ΙV criteria. The Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (SASA) was completed by children under the guidance and supervision of their parents. Statistical analyses were performed in SPSS 22 using the Chi-square test and independent sample T-test.

The participants’ mean age (SD) was 13.43 ± 1.54 years. The prevalence of social anxiety was estimated at 67.5% (95%CI: 60.6 - 73.4), of whom 70% had moderate anxiety, and 30% had severe anxiety. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of social anxiety between the age groups (P = 0.167). The prevalence of social anxiety was significantly higher in girls (74.8%) than in boys (59.8%) (P = 0.034). Also, girls showed a significantly higher prevalence of severe social anxiety than boys (P = 0.023).

In this study, the prevalence of social anxiety was found to be considerably high in children with chronic FC. There was no significant difference between different age groups in terms of the prevalence of social anxiety; however, the prevalence and severity of this disease were significantly higher in girls than in boys.