Influence of sociodemographic and health status variables on the American Urological Association Symptom Scores in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms
X. Badia et al., Influence of sociodemographic and health status variables on the American Urological Association Symptom Scores in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms, UROLOGY, 57(1), 2001, pp. 71-77
Objectives. To evaluate the relationship between sociodemographic and healt
h status variables and the American Urological Association Symptom Score (A
UA-7] because low associations between clinical measures of lower urinary t
ract symptoms and scores on the AUA-7 suggest that symptoms may be influenc
ed by other variables.
Methods. Sociodemographic, clinical, and health status variables were recor
ded for 666 patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). BPH symptoms
were measured with the AUA-7. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used
to determine correlations between sociodemographic and health status varia
bles and AUA-7 scores.
Results. BPH-related variables (clinical rating of severity, number of BPH
treatments, and being scheduled for surgery) were included in the final reg
ression model, which explained 25% of the overall variability in scores. An
additional 7% of the total variability was explained by other non-BPH-rela
ted variables (educational level, presence of depression/anxiety, and pain/
discomfort).
Conclusions. The AUA-7 is a robust questionnaire that is little influenced
by sociodemographic variables and general health status. The educational le
vel, mood, and presence of pain/discomfort of patients should be taken into
account when interpreting scores, as a combination of these characteristic
s could mean a difference of up to 6 points on the AUA-7. UROLOGY 57: 71-77
, 2001. (C) 2001, Elsevier Science Inc.