An ideal bowel preparation should have the capacity to evacuate the fecal load quickly,
without compromising the comfort of patients or causing fluid-electrolyte imbalance.
Various methods are used to improve the quality of bowel preparation, such as
pre-colonoscopy education, low-fiber diet, and use of split-dose polyethylene glycol
(PEG). There are many scientific studies showing that these methods increase the quality
of bowel preparation. However, there have been fewer studies showing that methods such as
chewing gum and walking exercises before colonoscopy increase the quality of bowel
preparation. No study has been found in which these two methods were evaluated together.
In order to eliminate the deficiency in this field, it is thought that this study will be
useful in improving the quality of bowel preparation before colonoscopy.
Chewing gum is a virtual feeding method that stimulates the cephalic-vagal reflex,
promoting the secretion of gastric and intestinal hormones and increasing intestinal
motility. Chewing gum has advantages such as ease of application, low cost, and no
reported side effects. Therefore, the use of this method as a safe intervention is
recommended. Its effectiveness in reducing postoperative ileus and hospital stay has been
demonstrated in many studies.
It is stated that walking exercise improves bowel cleanliness and reduces discomfort
associated with nausea and abdominal pain during bowel preparation for colonoscopy. A
systematic review found that low and moderate-intensity exercise lasting less than 60
minutes supports gastrointestinal motility.
Inadequate bowel preparation can lead to the repetition of the colonoscopy procedure,
negatively affecting patients' experiences and satisfaction. In addition to this, factors
such as the difficulty of the bowel preparation process in patients undergoing
colonoscopy, unsedated colonoscopy, long appointment dates, and insufficient
pre-procedure information can also negatively impact patient satisfaction. Assessing the
satisfaction of patients is recommended for a successful and high-quality colonoscopy
procedure.
This study was designed as a randomized controlled experimental study to determine the
effects of gum chewing and walking exercise, as well as the use of diet and medication
during the bowel preparation process before colonoscopy, on the quality of bowel
preparation and patient satisfaction.