Abbreviations & Acronyms BPH = benign prostatic hyperplasia CI = confidence interval N-QOL = Nocturia Quality-of-Life questionnaire OAB = overactive bladder OAB-q = overactive bladder questionnaire OABSS = overactive bladder symptom score QOL = quality of life ROC = receiver operating characteristic Objectives: To evaluate the Japanese version of the Nocturia Quality-of-Life questionnaire for prediction of night-time voiding and risk of falling. Methods: A survey was carried out from October 2008 to June 2009 in outpatients at 15 general hospitals and 80 general clinics in Tochigi, Japan, using the Nocturia Quality-of-Life questionnaire, overactive bladder symptom score and self-administered questionnaires on night-time symptoms (awakening, number of voids, incontinence and falling). Results: The survey was completed by 2494 participants (1154 men, 1208 women; mean age 63.2 ± 15.1 years). Overactive bladder was diagnosed in 625 participants (25.1%) according to the Japanese overactive bladder guideline using overactive bladder symptom score. Awakening during sleep was reported by 80.1% of the participants, and 70.4% awakened to go to the toilet. The mean Nocturia Quality-of-Life score was 86.8 ± 16.9. The Nocturia Qualityof-Life score was lower in patients with overactive bladder, benign prostatic hyperplasia, diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. The Nocturia Quality-of-Life score was significantly decreased in patients with night-time symptoms (P < 0.001). Nocturia Qualityof-Life scores and those for subdomains were correlated with overactive bladder symptom score. Nocturia Quality-of-Life ≤90 had 63.1% sensitivity and 78.6% specificity in indicating night-time voiding more than twice, and Nocturia Quality-of-Life questionnaire ≤80 had 70.2% sensitivity and 79.5% specificity in indicating the probability of falling at least once. Logistic analysis showed that 10-year increase in age and overactive bladder in all participants were significant risk factors for Nocturia Quality-of-Life ≤90.
Conclusions:The Nocturia Quality-of-Life questionnaire represents a useful tool to predict nocturia and risk of falling in Japanese patients.Key words: falling, nocturia, Nocturia Quality-of-Life questionnaire, overactive bladder, overactive bladder symptom score.
IntroductionDemographic studies have shown that the frequency of nocturia increases with age, 1-3 and that increased night-time frequency of voiding leads to bone fracture, decreased QOL and increased risk of death in the elderly.4,5 These findings have caused considerable interest in this condition, but in clinical settings many elderly people accept nocturia as an aging symptom, and the degree to which it is viewed as an irritant varies from person to person. Thus, for the treatment of nocturia, an appropriate evaluation of the effect of nocturia on daily QOL is required, in addition to an understanding of the pathology and symptoms.The Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 is a generic questionnaire that cannot detect the influence of nocturia on QOL,...