Constipation: A commonly costly complex condition

Please add to the NZCYES collectionBackground: The 2015 New Zealand Child and Youth Epidemiology Service reports to NZ district health boards (DHBs) on the health status of children and young people found that constipation was a common reason for acute and arranged hospitalisations of New Zealand children, particularly in the 0–14 age group. Community prevalence may be as high as 30% and the condition results in a significant burden to children, their families and to health services in terms of resource use and funding. This poster includes the epidemiology of hospitalisations for constipation in New Zealand 0–24 year olds from 2000 to 2015 and considers recent evidence for good practice at a health service level. Methods: Analysis of data from the National Minimum dataset with Statistics New Zealand Estimated Resident Population denominator to describe hospitalisation rates over time and demographic characteristics of individuals hospitalised with a primary or contributory diagnosis of constipation. A rapid literature review summarises good practice in reducing hospitalisation rates for constipation. Results: Hospitalisation rates of 0–24 year olds for constipation rose markedly from 2007 to 2015. The increase in hospitalisation rates was observed in all age groups and ethnic groups, with consistently highest rates for 0–4 year olds. Among 0–24 year olds between 2011 and 2015 hospitalisation was least likely for those living in areas with low scores on the NZDep2013 index of deprivation, for Asian/Indian children and young people and for boys compared with girls. Conclusion: The common problem of constipation is contributing increasingly to use of health service resources in New Zealand. Cost-effective services can reduce this impact and contribute to better outcomes for children and families