Fr446 INCIDENCE OF “NEW-ONSET” CONSTIPATION AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS DURING LOCKDOWN DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS-19 PANDEMIC.

Background: A minimum of physical activity and low liquid intake are factors that have been associated with constipation. The health emergency brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in adopting behavior, such as sheltering-in-place (less mobility) and dietary changes, creating a scenario we believe to be an adequate model for examining the appearance of symptoms of constipation and its associated factors. Methods: A cross-sectional and descriptive study was conducted on an open population, applying an electronic survey (4 weeks after lockdown due to COVID-19 in Mexico) to evaluate: demographic characteristics, physical activity, water and fiber intake, appearance of constipation symptoms (including stool consistency), and quality of life.Key results: Out of 678 subjects evaluated, 170 (25%, 95% CI 21.7-28.4) developed symptoms of “new-onset” constipation, with a significant decrease in the number of daily bowel movements (p<0.05) and hardness of stool consistency (p<0.05) during lockdown. The multivariate analysis (logistic regression) showed that female sex (p=0.001), water intake (p=0.039), and physical activity (p=0.012) were associated with “new-onset” constipation. Conclusions: Reduced physical activity and less water intake due to mobility restrictions imposed for epidemiologic reasons, such as a pandemic, can lead to symptoms of “new-onset” constipation.