Best Practice to Prevent Constipation in People Living With Dementia: A Scoping Review.
Linda Maria Schnitker, Safa Alrababah, Anne Young and 3 others
PMID 40526588WHAT IT FOUND
Evidence for preventing constipation in dementia is limited and low-quality.
Seven studies showed mixed results: probiotics and hydration plans helped, but exercise and scheduled toileting alone did not. Most effective strategies were multicomponent, targeting diet and fluid.
Key findings
01The review included only seven studies with a total of 490 participants, indicating a significant gap in high-quality evidence for this population.
02Probiotic fermented oat drinks significantly increased bowel movement frequency compared to placebo in a randomised controlled trial.
03A multicomponent intervention involving exercise and scheduled toileting did not significantly improve bowel movement frequency compared to usual care.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPsWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The review included only seven studies, limiting the generalisability of findings. Sample sizes in the included studies were small (ranging from 3 to 209 participants). There was significant heterogeneity in outcome measures and intervention components, preventing meta-analysis. Only English and Dutch publications were included, potentially missing relevant evidence from other languages. Grey literature was excluded, which may have omitted unpublished but relevant data. The most recent included study was published in 2019, indicating a five-year gap in updated research.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The study was funded by Aged Care Research & Industry Innovation Australia (ARIIA).
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that exercise and scheduled toileting alone are effective for preventing constipation in dementia, as one RCT found no significant benefit from this approach. The positive results came from interventions that included specific dietary and hydration changes, or probiotics.