Abstract
METHODS: This study was undertaken in Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia, in April 2019. The study population comprised respondents aged ≥18 years who had been recruited to participate through advertising on social media. RESULTS: Of 532 respondents who completed our questionnaire, 153 (25.4%) had constipation, based on listed criteria, and of these, 121 (22.7%) reported having been constipated for ≥6 months; nearly 48% reported having been constipated for >3 years, while 63.6% of those chronically constipated were female. Bisacodyl was the laxative medication most used to treat chronic constipation, and 17.4% of users reported that they had used laxative medication for >12 months. Complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) were utilized in 44.4% of respondents with chronic constipation. There was a significant association between the group who used CAMs and age (p = 0.013). Drinking water was the most common CAM adopted for those experiencing chronic constipation, followed by consumption of fiber (35.5%) and senna (19.8%).