Bladder and Bowel Functions, Participation and Quality of Life in Children With Intellectual Disabilities

Launched by ABANT IZZET BAYSAL UNIVERSITY · Jul 2, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This study is looking at how bladder and bowel problems affect children with intellectual disabilities, and how these issues impact their daily activities and their families’ quality of life. Bladder and bowel dysfunction can include problems like needing to go to the bathroom urgently, accidents during the day or night, constipation, and other related difficulties. These problems are more common in children with intellectual disabilities compared to children without such challenges. The research aims to better understand these difficulties together, along with how they affect children’s participation in everyday life and how parents feel about their child’s health and well-being.

Children between the ages of 5 and 12 may take part if they have been diagnosed with mild to severe intellectual disabilities or if they are typically developing children for comparison. Both the child and their parent need to agree to participate. Children with certain physical disabilities, neurological issues, recent surgeries or injuries related to bladder or bowel problems, genetic disorders, or who take medications that affect bladder and bowel function will not be eligible. Participants can expect to share information about their bladder and bowel habits and answer questions about daily activities and family life. This study is important because it looks at these health concerns together in children with intellectual disabilities, which hasn’t been done much before, and it also considers the impact on families.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• For Children with Intellectual Disabilities:
• • Aged between 5 and 12 years
• • Diagnosed with mild, moderate, or severe intellectual disability as documented by the ÇÖZGER (Child Special Needs Report)
• • Both the parent and the child agree to participate in the study
• • For Typically Developing Children
• • Aged between 5 and 12 years
• • Both the parent and the child agree to participate in the study
• Exclusion Criteria:
• For Children with Intellectual Disabilities:
• • Having a diagnosis of physical disability
• • Presence of a neurological anomaly affecting bladder and bowel functions
• • Parent does not consent to participate in the study
• • Having undergone trauma or surgery affecting bladder and bowel functions within the last 6 months
• • Diagnosis of a genetic disorder
• • Use of medications that may affect bladder and bowel functions
• • For Typically Developing Children
• • Presence of a neurological anomaly affecting bladder and bowel functions
• • Lack of parental consent to participate in the study
• • Having experienced trauma or undergone surgery affecting bladder and bowel functions within the past 6 months
• • Use of medications that may influence bladder and bowel functions