Adverse Childhood Experiences and Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms and Impact Among Women

Editorial Comment

“…Through the rare opportunity of longitudinal data in a racially diverse sample, this article provides insight into how childhood adversity affects lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) over time. 1 Sampling w1,300 women across 10 years, the authors show the lasting impact of family-based ACEs on LUTS.…”

This Month in Adult Urology

“…In this issue, Brady et al (page 1167) from multiple institutions provide unique information regarding adverse childhood experiences and LUTS, examining the potential of a resiliency factor (social connectedness) to buffer against the development of LUTS. 4 The authors show that childhood adversity associates with the likelihood of having any form of LUTS, regardless of the extensiveness of a person’s social network. However, social networks during adulthood appeared to attenuate the association between adverse childhood experiences and the impact of LUTS.…”

The brain, gut, and bladder health nexus: A conceptual model linking stress and mental health disorders to overactive bladder in women

“…At least one study has linked interpersonal stressors to greater likelihood of experiencing OAB symptoms. 27 Low socioeconomic status and other social determinants of health (SDOH) that constrain resources may be viewed as chronic stressors. Low childhood socioeconomic status has been linked with nocturnal enuresis in childhood.…”

“…79 Some evidence suggests that social resources for resilience (i.e., extensiveness of social networks) can weaken associations between stressors and OAB symptoms and their impact. 19,27 More recently, scholars have introduced the concept of "neuropsychological resilience," which emphasizes biological processes that may confer protection against the development of physical disorders in response to psychological stressors. 80 This research is relevant to the questions of whether and how individuals can be resilient to the development of OAB in response to psychological stressors and MHDs.…”

“…Studies have shown that retrospectively reported ACEs are associated with OAB symptoms during adulthood. [18][19][20][21] Adverse experiences during adulthood (e.g., emotional, physical, or sexual abuse from an intimate partner; sexual assault) have also been associated with OAB symptoms in adulthood in several, [22][23][24][25] but not all, 21 studies. A vast body of research has linked chronic stressors, defined as ongoing problems, conflicts, and threats that people face in their daily lives, to a variety of negative mental and physical health outcomes.…”