RISK Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Research into Incontinence of Stool and its associated Risk Factors: Evaluation of established and novel causes
IRAS ID
356026
Contact name
Sophie Noblett
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 3 months, 4 days
Research summary
People often do not want to talk about their bowels particularly if they are troubled by them. Incontinence and ‘soiling oneself’ can be embarrassing. It greatly affects quality of life, mental health and relationships. People often hide their symptoms, do not seek help and avoid going out. Most do not realise how common it is. Despite this there is less evidence available for advice compared to other bowel problems.
We are studying risk factors for faecal incontinence. Knowing why something happens is crucial to knowing how to overcome it. This was highlighted as a top priority for future research in a recent national survey.
Incontinence has many causes with most blame placed on age and trauma in childbirth. There are still important unanswered questions. Current knowledge cannot explain why some people get symptoms and others do not. No research has looked at the impact of multiple risk factors together. Diarrhoea, genetic disorders that lead to weak muscles and the effect of anal sex also need greater research.
This questionnaire-based study will aim to answer these questions. It will assess risk factors using an established national registry and database of patients with bowel disorders. The results will be analysed using standard methods and artificial intelligence.
Our aim is to increase understanding in this area. Prevention is often better than cure. We hope to help reduce the chance of people getting symptoms or symptoms getting worse. Our results will help guide advice for patients, healthcare workers and in the management of incontinence.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Sheffield Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/YH/0094
Date of REC Opinion
14 Jul 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion