Effect of Lifestyle Modification on Relieving Constipation Symptoms among Patients with Liver Cirrhosis

Background: Constipation in patients with liver cirrhosis is one of the key factors that might lead
to hepatic encephalopathy. However, management of constipation stands on a balance between
strategies for prevention and self-care/non-pharmacological perspective. Aim; Examine effect of
Lifestyle Modification on constipation relieve among Patients with Liver Cirrhosis. Design: A
quazi-experimental non-equivalent pre post-test time series control group. Setting; Medical
departments at one of the Educational Hospital affiliated to Cairo-University hospital;
Egypt.Hypothesis: H1: Study group who will receive life style modification will have a significant
higher mean activity of daily living score compared to the control group who will receive routine
hospital care. H2: Study group who will receive life style modification will have a significant lower
mean Constipation-Symptoms score compared to the control group who will receive routine
hospital care. H3: Study group who will receive life style modification will show improvement of
the stool form compared to the control group who will receive routine hospital care. Sample: A
purposive sample of 60 adult male & female patients. Tools: Tool I; Glasgow coma scale, Tool II;
West Haven Criteria, Tool III: Demographic medical Information Form, Tool IV; Katz Index of
Independence in Activities of Daily Living, Tool V; the Bristol Stool Form Scale, and Tool VI;
PAC-SYM questionnaire. Results: Mean age of the study and the control groups were 55.80 ±12.73
and 52.33±12.42 respectively. The total score of activity of daily living were highly statistically
significantly F(1.1.93, 56.14) =24.85 at P value=0.000 over the three readings within the study
group. The total score of Assessment of Constipation-Symptoms were highly statistically
significantly different than the control group as study group F (1.45, 42.19) =147.32 at P
value=0.000. While; there was highly statistical significant difference between study and control
groups at the 2nd and at the 3rd readings as independent t-test=(5.75, p=0.000), (7.17, p=0.000),
respectively. Conclusion: The present study underlined the benefits of life style modification
instructions to improve constipation symptoms of patients with Liver Cirrhosis Recommendations:
Replicate the study on a larger study sample and to be followed for longer period.