ENURESIS - PREVALENCE AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG PRIMARY-SCHOOL CHILDREN IN SAUDI-ARABIA

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of enuresis and the factors associated with it among primary school children. This is a cross-sectional population-based study. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Six hundred and forty school children aged 6-16 years were selected randomly. Enuresis prevalence was 16.3% among boys and 13.8% among girls. The overall prevalence was 15%. Bre astfeeding, first born children, family integrity and stability were f ound to be protective. Stressful life events before the age of 6 years , deep sleep, acute family psyche-social problems, recurrent urinary t ract infection, constipation and congenital defects were found to be s trongly associated with enuresis. Enuresis was also found to be associ ated with family history of enuresis. An important finding is that of the 83 children who had enuresis during sleep, 25 (30.1%) wet their be ds during day time sleep (day sleep wetting). The importance of enures is as a health problem has been affirmed and specific guidelines were suggested.