ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Surg.
Sec. Colorectal and Proctological Surgery
Toilet Behaviors and Lifestyle Factors in Anorectal Diseases: A Cross-Sectional Analysis
Provisionally accepted
- 1General Surgery, Faculty of Medicine. Mugla University, Muğla, Türkiye
- 2General Surgery, TC Saglik Bakanligi Kozan Devlet Hastanesi, Adana, Türkiye
- 3Faculty of Medicine. Mugla University, Muğla, Türkiye
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Background: Anorectal diseases including hemorrhoids, anal fissures, and fistulas significantly impact quality of life, yet the relationship between toilet behaviors and disease development remains poorly understood. Methods: This cross-sectional study conducted at Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University compared 211 proctology patients with anorectal diseases to 369 healthy controls. Data on demographics, toilet behaviors, hygiene practices, and lifestyle factors were collected through structured interviews. Results: Among 580 participants (211 patients vs. 369 controls), patients were significantly older (46.0 ± 14.0 vs. 42.2 ± 16.4 years; p = 0.002) and predominantly male (76.3% vs. 45.0%; p < 0.001). They also had higher rates of constipation (>1/week: 18.9% vs. 5.7%; p < 0.001), back-to-front wiping (59.2% vs. 45.5%; p = 0.002), and prolonged toilet sitting (>20 minutes: 8.1% vs. 0.5%; p < 0.001), whereas smartphone use during defecation was lower (26.1% vs. 37.4%; p = 0.001). Conclusion: This study demonstrates significant associations between specific toilet behaviors and anorectal disease development. The findings suggest that constipation frequency, wiping patterns, and prolonged toilet sitting represent modifiable risk factors, while the inverse relationship with smartphone use warrants further investigation. These results support targeted behavioral interventions in anorectal disease prevention.
Keywords: Anorectal diseases, Defecation, Constipation, Hemorrhoids, Proctology
Received: 10 Aug 2025; Accepted: 27 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Yazkan, ŞAHİN, Yavuz, Mammadov, OZCAN and Dere. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Samet ŞAHİN, sametsahin@mu.edu.tr
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