Bowel Dysfunction in MS
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Bowel Dysfunction in multiple sclerosis: a qualitative study of people with MS and their family carers
IRAS ID
188301
Contact name
Christine Norton
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
Bowel problems are common in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). 35 – 54% experience constipation and 29 – 51% experience bowel incontinence, compared with 5% and 2% of the general population, respectively. There has been a lot of research into bladder problems and management of this in people with MS, but very little information exists to inform our understanding of MS-related bowel problems. There is one study addressing constipation in MS, and one of our team is currently conducting a study trialling abdominal massage for constipation in MS, but no qualitative evidence of the experience of people with MS and their family carers living with bowel incontinence, of the impact this has on them, of the help they require, or of the experience of help-seeking for this problem. We propose a qualitative study to explore the experiences of 30 people with MS and 10 family carers of constipation and / or bowel incontinence due to MS. through semi-structured individual interviews, to produce a composite understanding of living with disease-related bowel dysfunction, and the help desired from healthcare professionals to manage this distressing issue. Interviews will be conducted face to face, or over the telephone, according to participant preference / location. Data will be analysed by the team using a qualitative analysis hierarchy, allowing descriptive (simple) and interpretive (complex) analysis. Results will be integrated with findings from a related but separate study addressing clinician experience of supporting bowel management in people with MS, conducted under separate university ethics review. These integrated findings will inform the later development of a care pathway for people living with, or caring for someone with, MS-related bowel dysfunction.
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/NW/0721
Date of REC Opinion
8 Oct 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion