Evaluating the efficacy of the constipation severity scale in pregnant women

Constipation is a common problem during pregnancy. Increased progesterone levels during pregnancy slow down bowel movements, leading to constipation. Moreover, in the later stages of pregnancy, the growing uterus can put pressure on the intestines, further worsening constipation. Various scales can be used to assess the severity of constipation. These scales are designed to evaluate the frequency, severity, and symptoms of constipation. This study aimed to develop and evaluate the validity of a constipation severity scale in pregnant women in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters. The study included 104 pregnant women diagnosed with constipation. Demographic data such as age, gestational week,mode of delivery, number of pregnancies, number of births, body mass index, and the presence of comorbidities were collected. The constipation severity scale was used to assess the severity of constipation symptoms. The Constipation Severity Scale (CSS) scores of pregnant women were found to be statistically significantly associated with age and gestational week at a low level, and with BMI at a very good level (p=0.001, p=0.023, p<0.001). No statistically significant difference was found in CSS scores between the groups of pregnant women in terms of mode of delivery, additional diseases, and operations (p=0.358, p=0.316, p=0.773). In the multivariate linear regression analysis to determine the factors affecting the CSS score, age, parity, and BMI were found to be statistically significant factors (p=0.003, p=0.042, p<0.001). The developed constipation severity scale is a reliable and valid scale for assessing constipation in pregnancy. The scale can be widely used in practice to determine the severity of constipation and its impact on the quality of life of pregnant women.