British Dietetic Association Guidelines for the Dietary Management of Chronic Constipation in Adults

Current clinical guidelines for chronic constipation offer limited dietary recommendations. The aim of this project was to develop the first comprehensive evidence-based dietary guidelines for the management of chronic constipation in adults.

Four systematic reviews and meta-analyses were performed to identify eligible randomised controlled trials (RCTs). The findings generated from the meta-analyses were then used to develop guideline statements using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach and a Delphi consensus survey among a multi-disciplinary expert Guideline Steering Committee. Recommendation statements were produced for treatment response, stool output, gut symptoms, adverse events, and quality of life, and only based on the findings where ≥ 2 RCTs contributed to the meta-analysis. The strength of recommendation was assessed using the GRADE approach. Consensus voting amongst the Guideline Steering Committee was performed using a modified Delphi survey approach.