Relationship between dietary fiber intake and chronic diarrhea in adults

Table 1 Clinical characteristics of the study population from national health and nutrition examination survey 2005-2010, n (%)/ mean ± SD

Variables	No chronic diarrhea (n = 10861)		Chronic diarrhea (n = 1968)	Statistic	P value
Dietary fiber, median (25th-75th percentiles)	29.7 (21.0-41.2)		28.5 (20.0-40.2)	8.458	0.004
Dietary fiber T				10.822	0.013
Dietary fiber T1	2650 (24.4)		546 (27.7)
Dietary fiber T2	2698 (24.8)		485 (24.6)
Dietary fiber T3	2771 (25.5)		468 (23.8)
Dietary fiber T4	2742 (25.2)		469 (23.8)
Gender				5.618	0.018
Man	5271 (48.5)		898 (45.6)
Female	5590 (51.5)		1070 (54.4)
Age	49.6 ± 18.1		51.6 ± 17.0	21.419	< 0.001
BMI	28.9 ± 6.5		30.4 ± 7.4	81.543	< 0.001
Race				16.981	< 0.001
Non-Hispanic whites	1894 (17.4)		377 (19.2)
Non-Hispanic black	5558 (51.2)		968 (49.2)
Mexican Americans	2146 (19.8)		345 (17.5)
Hispanics and other races	1263 (11.6)		278 (14.1)
Education				Fisher	< 0.001
Below high school	2821 (26)		638 (32.4)
High school diploma or equivalent	2594 (23.9)		478 (24.3)
University or above	5437 (50.1)		850 (43.2)
Marriage				0.934	0.334
Married	9156 (84.3)		1676 (85.2)
Unmarried	1699 (15.7)		291 (14.8)
Poverty-income ratio				54.58	< 0.001
≤ 1.30	2788 (27.6)		643 (35.6)
1.31-3.5	3941 (39)		675 (37.4)
> 3.5	3384 (33.5)		489 (27.1)
Smoke				21.73	< 0.001
Yes	2221 (20.4)		469 (23.8)
No	2812 (25.9)		552 (28)
Dink				Fisher	0.427
Yes	7710 (71)		1406 (71.4)
No	3146 (29)		560 (28.5)
Diabetes				21.766	< 0.001
Yes	1034 (9.5)		254 (12.9)
No	9459 (87.1)		1643 (83.5)
Hypertension				Fisher	< 0.001
Yes	4553 (41.9)		982 (49.9)
No	6307 (58.1)		984 (50)

Dietary fiber consumption was classified into four quartiles: T1 (< 25%), T2 (≥ 25% to 50%), T3 (≥ 50% to 75%), and T4 (≥ 75%). BMI: Body mass index.