Effect of Abdominal Massage on Functional Constipation in Older Adults Living in a Care Center: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objectives: Although constipation can occur at any age, it is a common and treatable health problem among older adults. This randomized controlled study aimed to investigate the effect of abdominal massage on constipation among older adults receiving care services in a care center. Methods: The study included 86 older adults who met the Rome IV diagnostic criteria for constipation and had no contraindication to abdominal massage. Participants were randomly assigned equally to intervention and control groups using simple randomization. Abdominal massage was administered to the intervention group for 15 minutes per day, five days a week, for four weeks, while no intervention was applied to the control group. Constipation severity and constipation related quality of life were assessed using the Constipation Severity Scale (CSS) and the Patient Assessment of Constipation Quality of Life (PAC-QOL). Conclusions: Abdominal massage may be a non-invasive, low-cost, and easily applicable intervention for managing constipation among older adults. Further randomized controlled trials with longer intervention and follow-up periods are warranted.