Protocol Insight inTo Stress and POOping on work TIME (ITS POO TIME): an online and cross-sectional study protocol 2025 Tully et al

ABSTRACT

Background:

Long occupational working hours and shift work are common in high, middle, and lower-income economies. Bowel movement frequency and stool form in occupational settings may be important markers of stressful working conditions as well as diurnal gut microbiota action, gastrointestinal discomfort, and disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI). Characterizing DGBI in shift and non-shift workers could help identify the impact of diurnal work patterns on worker’s physical and mental health, including anxiety related to bowel movements.

Objective:

The paper outlines the Insight inTo Stress and POOping on work TIME (ITS POO TIME) protocol describing a web-based multi-methods research project on DGBI, stool form and frequency, psychological factors, sleep, diet and anxiety related to bowel movements in occupational settings by comparison to residential settings.

Methods:

Study 1 comprises a web-based convenience sampling survey to acquire quantitative data from adults who are engaged in paid employment. We seek to assess occupational characteristics, organizational factors, as well as standardized questionnaires for stool form, DGBI assessed by Rome-IV criteria, sleep, diet, bowel movement anxiety (i.e. parcopresis), and distress. Study 2 is a qualitative study which asks open-ended questions about respondents’ attitudes to defecation at work. Analyses for Study 1 will explore rates of DGBI in shift vs. non-shift workers and explore how occupational characteristics are associated with occupational bowel movement stool form and frequency. With regards to distress, and parcopresis, Study 1 will analyse how parcopresis, distress, and contamination fears are associated with stool form and frequency in occupational settings compared with residential settings. Study 1 is designed to have 90% power to detect a 5% difference in DGBI prevalence between groups at α = 0.05 based on the conservative estimate of 15% DGBI prevalence in shift workers and 10% DGBI prevalence in non-shift workers, with a final sample of N=1967 required. Study 2 qualitative data will be analysed using inductive thematic analysis to identify themes concerning feelings and attitudes about bowel movements in occupational settings.

Results:

The findings of ITS POO TIME will elicit important information on what factors are associated with bowel movements and stool form and frequency in occupational settings and identify associations pertinent to occupational health. Data collection commenced in January 2019 and finished enrolment in December 2023. Study 1 obtained 1872 responses and fell short of the desired sample size. Study 2 received 337 responses, and the primary results are expected to be published in 2025 and qualitative results published in 2026.

Conclusions:

The results of the research described in this research protocol will have direct implications for industry, employers, and policy makers concerning DGBI, stress, and worker health.

Open access

 

Do you think that the research team relied on a group of adolescent boys to come up with "ITS POO TIME" for them?

 

Way to not get your research taken seriously.

 

I wonder if they came up with the title first and worked from there!

 

Do researchers get credit these days for coming up with these ridiculous titles?

 

Or six-year-olds?

It's a shame they made it sound like an April Fool, because what they're studying is potentially an interesting idea.

 

Maybe it’s a way for their paper to get more attention/be more memorable. Which seems to be a priority of researchers for some reason.

 

This seems like a circular argument. Issues with you poo might be a marker of issues with you poo.

 

Except they’ve classified those issues into a made up category which implies the issues are psychsomatic.

 

Literally and figuratively haha

 

Exactly this, it seems like making fun of people who have these complaints.

 

They would have gone for SKIBIDI, but this is close enough.

 

I have no idea what to think about this. It's such a ridiculous premise. It seems to be premised on the idea of nervous pooping? I have no idea what they're trying to accomplish with this, but I do find this hilarious:

No, no they won't. Not even close. And no matter how many times they use the meme of "disorders of gut-brain interaction" won't make any of this relevant.

 

Wasn't there a guy called Sigmund something who said money was really poo or something like that. Maybe these researchers need a good lie down on a couch to deal with this DGBI obsession, not to mention their desire to see others peering at the lavatory pan like them?

 

As a former management consultant I can confirm that this is how the businesses would describe it (and the consultants)!

This site and similar ones always give me a good laugh:
https://plainenglish.co.uk/gobbledygook-generator-2.html