Overview

• The cross-sectional analysis of 125 adults undergoing screening colonoscopy found hemorrhoids in 43% on endoscopy.
• Phone users had 46% higher odds of hemorrhoids after adjustment for age, sex, BMI, activity, straining and fiber intake.
• Time on the toilet differed sharply, with 37.3% of phone users staying more than five minutes per visit versus 7.1% of non-users.
• Bathroom phone users were younger on average and reported less weekly exercise than non-users.
• Authors advise leaving phones out of the bathroom and limiting toilet time to a few minutes, while cautioning that causation is unproven.