Factors related to lower urinary tract symptoms among a sample of employed women in Taipei

Abstract

Aim: To identify factors associated with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) among female elementary school teachers in Taipei. Methods: This study is a cross-sectional, descriptive study. A total of 520 surveys were distributed to 26 elementary schools in Taipei. Logistic regression was used to identify possible factors related to individual LUTS. Results: Study results were based on the information provided by 445 participants. Of the 445 teachers, 293 (65.8%) experienced at least one type of LUTS. Factors associated with urinary incontinence were body mass index (BMI), vaginal delivery, obstetric and/or gynecological surgery, bladder habits, and job control. Increased daytime urinary frequency was associated with chronic cough and chronic constipation. Bladder habits, straining to lift heavy objects at work and chronic constipation were associated with urgency. Nocturia was associated with age and caffeine consumption while intermittent stream was associated with the presence of a family history of LUTS and chronic constipation. Bladder habits and regular exercise were associated with weak urinary stream. Incomplete emptying was more likely to occur in teachers with chronic constipation and in those who did not exercise regularly. Conclusion: All the LUTS under logistic regression analyses were associated with 1-3 modifiable factors. Identification of these modifiable contributing factors may be useful to health care providers. Education of women may include the importance of maintaining normal body weight, good bladder/bowel habits, and regular exercise, treating chronic cough, decreasing daily caffeine consumption, and implementing feasible environmental modifications in employment settings.

High frequency of overlap between functional dyspepsia and overactive bladder

“…Namely, high prevalence of concomitant OAB is thought to be one of the characteristics among constipation predominant FD patients. Previous studies also showed that there is a significant overlap between lower urinary tract symptoms and constipation 5,22,23 . Charach et al.…”

Risk factors and comorbid conditions associated with lower urinary tract symptoms: EpiLUTS

“…More recent research, particularly among men, has associated the metabolic syndrome with LUTS; hyperinsulinaemia, obesity, noninsulin-dependent diabetes, dyslipidaemia, and hypertension were found to be associated with an increased risk of BPH [4,7,8]. Given that many of the comorbid conditions noted are modifiable by increased physical activity and weight loss, it is not surprising that low levels of physical activity and elevated body mass index (BMI) are well-documented risk factors for LUTS in men and women [1,3,6,[9][10][11][12]. Research on smoking as a risk factor for LUTS has been inconclusive, with the finding that current smokers are at greater risk of LUTS than are former smokers or nonsmokers [4,6,13], and conversely reports of either no association or a possible inverse relationship between cigarette smoking and LUTS [2,4,14].…”

Effect of caffeine on bladder function in patients with overactive bladder symptoms

“…Caffeine is often blamed to exacerbate OAB symptoms, so patients are usually advised to avoid caffeine consumption. [3–5] For those OAB patients who are coffee lovers, avoiding coffee and coffee products can equally hurt their quality of life, and they may wonder if caffeine actually has anything to do with their OAB symptoms at all.…”