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Final Examination Stress and Bowel Symptoms

17 de setembro de 2026 atualizado por: Demet Öztürk, Lokman Hekim University

The Effect of Final Examination Stress on Bowel Symptoms in University Students

This prospective observational study aims to investigate the association between final examination stress and bowel symptoms in university students. Participants will be evaluated during the final examination period, which represents a naturally occurring period of increased academic stress. Bowel-related symptoms, including constipation-related complaints, defecation-related pain, stool characteristics, and urgency, will be assessed. Participants will also complete a 7-day diary to record bowel characteristics and selected lifestyle factors, including sleep duration, daily step count, and fluid intake. These factors will be examined as potential variables associated with bowel symptoms during the examination period.

Visão geral do estudo

Status

Ainda não está recrutando

Condições

Intervenção / Tratamento

Descrição detalhada

University students may experience increased psychological stress during final examination periods due to academic workload, performance expectations, and time pressure. Stress may influence gastrointestinal function through alterations in the brain-gut axis, autonomic nervous system activity, gastrointestinal motility, and visceral sensitivity. Examination periods may also be accompanied by changes in daily lifestyle behaviors, such as sleep duration, physical activity, and fluid intake, which may further influence bowel function.

This prospective, observational, analytical study is designed to evaluate bowel symptoms among university students during the final examination period. Participants will complete a sociodemographic and clinical information form and will be assessed for constipation-related symptoms using Rome IV-based questions. Additional bowel-related characteristics, including pain during defecation, pain intensity and location, urgency to defecate, and stool type, will be recorded.

Participants will also complete a 7-day follow-up diary during the final examination period. The diary will include daily records of defecation-related symptoms and stool characteristics as well as daily fluid intake, step count, and sleep duration. Daily step count and sleep duration will be considered potential lifestyle-related factors associated with bowel symptoms rather than primary outcomes.

The primary objective of the study is to investigate bowel symptoms during a period of final examination stress in university students. Secondary objectives are to examine the relationships between bowel symptoms and selected lifestyle-related factors, particularly sleep duration, physical activity, and fluid intake. No therapeutic, pharmacological, exercise-based, or invasive intervention will be administered as part of the study.

Tipo de estudo

Observacional

Inscrição (Estimado)

100

Critérios de participação

Os pesquisadores procuram pessoas que se encaixem em uma determinada descrição, chamada de critérios de elegibilidade. Alguns exemplos desses critérios são a condição geral de saúde de uma pessoa ou tratamentos anteriores.

Critérios de elegibilidade

Idades elegíveis para estudo

18 anos e mais velhos (Adulto, Adulto mais velho)

Aceita Voluntários Saudáveis

Sim

Gêneros Elegíveis para o Estudo

Tudo

Método de amostragem

Amostra Não Probabilística

População do estudo

The study population will consist of undergraduate university students aged 18 years or older who are enrolled in courses with final examinations during the study period. Eligible students who meet the predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria and voluntarily agree to participate will be included in the study.

Participants will be evaluated during the final examination period, which represents a naturally occurring period of academic stress. During this period, bowel-related symptoms and selected lifestyle factors, including sleep duration, daily step count, and water intake, will be assessed. Participants will also complete a 7-day follow-up diary to record daily bowel characteristics and related symptoms.

Descrição

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Being 18 years of age or older
  • Being an undergraduate university student
  • Being enrolled in courses with final examinations during the study period
  • Being able to complete the study assessments and the 7-day follow-up diary during the final examination period
  • Being able to read and understand Turkish
  • Voluntarily agreeing to participate in the study and providing informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Having a diagnosed organic gastrointestinal disease that may substantially affect bowel function, such as inflammatory bowel disease, celiac disease, or gastrointestinal malignancy
  • Having a history of major gastrointestinal or pelvic surgery that may affect bowel function
  • Regular use of medications that directly affect bowel motility, such as laxatives or antidiarrheal medications
  • Having an acute gastrointestinal infection, including acute diarrhea or vomiting, during the assessment period
  • Failing to adequately complete the study assessments or the 7-day follow-up diary

Plano de estudo

Esta seção fornece detalhes do plano de estudo, incluindo como o estudo é projetado e o que o estudo está medindo.

Como o estudo é projetado?

Detalhes do projeto

  • Modelos de observação: OTHER
  • Perspectivas de Tempo: PROSPECTIVE

Coortes e Intervenções

Grupo / Coorte
Intervenção / Tratamento
University Students During the Final Examination Period

University students who meet the eligibility criteria and participate in the study during the final examination period will constitute a single observational cohort. Participants will undergo assessment of bowel symptoms and related lifestyle factors during the study period. No allocation or randomization will be performed.

Participants will complete assessments of bowel symptoms and a 7-day diary during the final examination period. The diary will include daily records of bowel-related symptoms, stool characteristics, fluid intake, step count, and sleep duration. No treatment, medication, exercise program, or other therapeutic intervention will be administered.

O que o estudo está medindo?

Medidas de resultados primários

Medida de resultado
Descrição da medida
Prazo
Constipation-Related Bowel Symptoms
Prazo: Baseline

Constipation-related bowel symptoms will be assessed using Rome IV-based questions. The assessment (Rome IV criterias) will include defecation frequency, painful or difficult defecation, large-diameter stools, stool withholding behaviors, sensation of a large fecal mass in the rectum, fecal incontinence, and duration of symptoms.

Baseline

Medidas de resultados secundários

Medida de resultado
Descrição da medida
Prazo
Defecation-Related Pain
Prazo: Daily for 7 consecutive days during the final examination period

Participants will record the presence or absence of pain during defecation each day. When pain is present, its location (abdominal or anal region) and intensity will also be recorded. Pain intensity will be rated on a numerical scale ranging from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating greater pain intensity.

Daily for 7 consecutive days during the final examination period
Defecation Urgency
Prazo: Daily for 7 consecutive days during the final examination period

Participants will record the severity of urgency to defecate each day as mild, moderate, or severe.

Daily for 7 consecutive days during the final examination period
Stool Type
Prazo: Daily for 7 consecutive days during the final examination period

Participants will record their daily stool type according to the stool form chart provided in the study diary.

Daily for 7 consecutive days during the final examination period
Daily Step Count
Prazo: Daily for 7 consecutive days during the final examination period

Daily step count will be recorded using data obtained from participants' personal smartphones, smartwatches, or other step-counting devices. The mean daily step count across the 7-day monitoring period will also be calculated and evaluated as a lifestyle-related factor potentially associated with bowel symptoms.

Daily for 7 consecutive days during the final examination period
Sleep Duration
Prazo: Daily for 7 consecutive days during the final examination period

Participants will record the total duration of sleep for each day in hours. The mean daily sleep duration across the 7-day monitoring period will be calculated and evaluated as a potential factor associated with bowel symptoms.

Daily for 7 consecutive days during the final examination period
Daily Water Intake
Prazo: Daily for 7 consecutive days during the final examination period

Participants will record their total daily water intake in milliliters. The mean daily water intake across the 7-day monitoring period will be calculated and examined in relation to bowel symptoms.

Daily for 7 consecutive days during the final examination period

Colaboradores e Investigadores

É aqui que você encontrará pessoas e organizações envolvidas com este estudo.

Patrocinador

Datas de registro do estudo

Essas datas acompanham o progresso do registro do estudo e os envios de resumo dos resultados para ClinicalTrials.gov. Os registros do estudo e os resultados relatados são revisados ​​pela National Library of Medicine (NLM) para garantir que atendam aos padrões específicos de controle de qualidade antes de serem publicados no site público.

Datas Principais do Estudo

Início do estudo (Estimado)

1 de novembro de 2026

Conclusão Primária (Estimado)

1 de dezembro de 2026

Conclusão do estudo (Estimado)

30 de dezembro de 2026

Datas de inscrição no estudo

Enviado pela primeira vez

17 de setembro de 2026

Enviado pela primeira vez que atendeu aos critérios de CQ

17 de setembro de 2026

Primeira postagem (Real)

24 de setembro de 2026

Atualizações de registro de estudo

Última Atualização Postada (Real)

24 de setembro de 2026

Última atualização enviada que atendeu aos critérios de controle de qualidade

17 de setembro de 2026

Última verificação

1 de setembro de 2026

Mais Informações

Termos relacionados a este estudo

Outros números de identificação do estudo

  • 2026-FG

Informações sobre medicamentos e dispositivos, documentos de estudo

Estuda um medicamento regulamentado pela FDA dos EUA

Não

Estuda um produto de dispositivo regulamentado pela FDA dos EUA

Não

Essas informações foram obtidas diretamente do site clinicaltrials.gov sem nenhuma alteração. Se você tiver alguma solicitação para alterar, remover ou atualizar os detalhes do seu estudo, entre em contato com register@clinicaltrials.gov. Assim que uma alteração for implementada em clinicaltrials.gov, ela também será atualizada automaticamente em nosso site .