Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Defining constipation to estimate its prevalence in the community: results from a national 
survey  
 
Version: 1 Date: 01 May 2018  
 
Reviewer: Quadri Alabi  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
Reviewer's Report  
Title: Defining Constipation to estimates its prevalence in the community: result from a National 
Survey.  
Authors have made significant correction to the manuscript.  
The limitation session is well clarify and details.  
Authors should mention the company name of the market research company they referred to in 
the manuscript.  
Actually Rome III critical are commonly used in research studies, but not often used in clinical 
practice. Because Rome III criteria is not well vali dated.  
Overall, the study will give more knowledge to the existing knowledge's on Rome criteria 
system. Since, the use of Rome III criteria is not totally preferred method to determine 
inflammatory bowel syndrome IBS from other chronic intestinal disease. This study will 
therefore provide additional knowledge of Rome III criteria and its important in prevalence 
estimates and use in clinical setting.  
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work include the necessary co ntrols?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to asses s any statistics in the manuscript or would you recommend an  
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further  
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I am able to assess the statistics  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Acceptable  
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an  
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of this  
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares  in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose  
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents relating to the content of the  
manuscript?  
 
4. Have you recei ved reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds  or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
 
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' 
below.  If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
I declare I have no competing interest  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal. I understand that my name will be included  
on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted for publication, my named report  
including any attachments I upload will be posted on the website along with the authors'  
respo nses. I agree for my report to be made available under an Open Access Creative Commons  
CC-BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ). I understand that any comments  
which I do not wish to be included in my named report can be included as conf idential comments  
to the editors, which will not be published.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal  
Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Defining constipation to estimate its prevalence in the community: results from a national 
survey  
 
Version: 1 Date: 01 May 2018  
 
Reviewer: Quadri Alabi  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
Reviewer's Report  
Title: Defining Constipation to estimates its prevalence in the community: result from a National 
Survey.  
Authors have made significant correction to the manuscript.  
The limitation session is well clarify and details.  
Authors should mention the company name of the market research company they referred to in 
the manuscript.  
Actually Rome III critical are commonly used in research studies, but not often used in clinical 
practice. Because Rome III criteria is not well vali dated.  
Overall, the study will give more knowledge to the existing knowledge's on Rome criteria 
system. Since, the use of Rome III criteria is not totally preferred method to determine 
inflammatory bowel syndrome IBS from other chronic intestinal disease. This study will 
therefore provide additional knowledge of Rome III criteria and its important in prevalence 
estimates and use in clinical setting.  
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work include the necessary co ntrols?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to asses s any statistics in the manuscript or would you recommend an  
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further  
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I am able to assess the statistics  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Acceptable  
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an  
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of this  
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares  in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose  
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents relating to the content of the  
manuscript?  
 
4. Have you recei ved reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds  or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
 
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' 
below.  If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
I declare I have no competing interest  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal. I understand that my name will be included  
on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted for publication, my named report  
including any attachments I upload will be posted on the website along with the authors'  
respo nses. I agree for my report to be made available under an Open Access Creative Commons  
CC-BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ). I understand that any comments  
which I do not wish to be included in my named report can be included as conf idential comments  
to the editors, which will not be published.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal  
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Defining constipation to estimate its prevalence in the community: results from a national 
survey  
 
Version: 1 Date: 01 May 2018  
 
Reviewer: Quadri Alabi  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
Reviewer's Report  
Title: Defining Constipation to estimates its prevalence in the community: result from a National 
Survey.  
Authors have made significant correction to the manuscript.  
The limitation session is well clarify and details.  
Authors should mention the company name of the market research company they referred to in 
the manuscript.  
Actually Rome III critical are commonly used in research studies, but not often used in clinical 
practice. Because Rome III criteria is not well vali dated.  
Overall, the study will give more knowledge to the existing knowledge's on Rome criteria 
system. Since, the use of Rome III criteria is not totally preferred method to determine 
inflammatory bowel syndrome IBS from other chronic intestinal disease. This study will 
therefore provide additional knowledge of Rome III criteria and its important in prevalence 
estimates and use in clinical setting.  
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work include the necessary co ntrols?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to asses s any statistics in the manuscript or would you recommend an  
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please specify what aspects require further  
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I am able to assess the statistics  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Acceptable  
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an  
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of this  
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares  in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose  
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents relating to the content of the  
manuscript?  
 
4. Have you recei ved reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds  or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
 
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' 
below.  If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
I declare I have no competing interest  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal. I understand that my name will be included  
on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted for publication, my named report  
including any attachments I upload will be posted on the website along with the authors'  
respo nses. I agree for my report to be made available under an Open Access Creative Commons  
CC-BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ). I understand that any comments  
which I do not wish to be included in my named report can be included as conf idential comments  
to the editors, which will not be published.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal  
assistant