HEALTH-STATUS AND QUALITY-OF-LIFE OF BRITISH MEN WITH LOWER URINARY-TRACT SYMPTOMS - RESULTS FROM THE SF-36

Objectives. To determine the extent to which urinary symptoms, and res ulting bothersomeness interfere with daily activities and affect healt h status, as measured using the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item short f orm health survey (SF-36). Methods. Postal population survey in a Brit ish health region of 217 men aged 55 years and over known to have repo rted mild, moderate, or severe lower urinary tract symptoms. Outcome m easures are self-reported urinary symptoms, their bothersomeness, gene ral health status, and quality of life (measured using the SF-36). Res ults. Response rate among eligible subjects was 84%. Depending on the activity, between 9% and 49% of men with moderate or severe urinary sy mptoms reported interference with some of their daily activities. Incr easing symptom severity was associated with worsening physical role, s ocial functioning, vitality, mental health, and perception of general health, and increasing bothersomeness was associated with worsening of all dimensions of general health status and quality of life. The asso ciation between these measures and bothersomeness was stronger than wi th symptom score. Compared with the general population, men bothered b y their symptoms to the extent that they were a medium or a large prob lem have worse health status for all dimensions except physical functi oning. Conclusions. The SF-36 demonstrates a deterioration in general health status and quality of life with increasing lower urinary tract symptoms and the extent to which those symptoms are bothersome. As suc h, it provides a generic measure of the burden of ill health arising f rom these symptoms at a population level. There is, however, considera ble individual variation in the way that men respond to their symptoms .