TROUBLESOME LOWER URINARY-TRACT SYMPTOMS IN THE COMMUNITY - A PREVALENCE STUDY

Objective: To determine the prevalence of troublesome lower urinary tr act symptoms (LUTS) in men and women in the community. Design: Intervi ew-based prevalence survey. Setting: Metropolitan and rural communitie s in South Australia, September, 1995. Subjects: Probability sample of 1204 men and 1686 women (aged over 18 years) weighted to reflect the age and sex distribution of the South Australian population. Data coll ected: Presence of storage (irritative) and voiding (obstructive) symp toms, based on the International Prostate Symptom Score questionnaire; satisfaction with urinary condition (quality-of-life measure); and vi sits to a doctor for urinary symptoms in the preceding 12 months. Resu lts: The prevalence of one or more troublesome LUTS was 26% (318/1204) for men and 39% (662/1686) for women (all ages) and 48% (314/649) for men and women over 65. The most common troublesome symptoms in men an d women were nocturia and frequency. Symptoms were significantly age-r elated in men, but less so in women, in whom symptom prevalence exceed ed 30% for all age groups. Ten per cent of men (123/1204) and 15% of w omen (249/1686) had visited a doctor for a urinary problem in the prev ious 12 months. Nine per cent of men (104/1204) and 16% of women (274/ 1686) were substantially dissatisfied with their urinary condition. Sy mptom prevalence and dissatisfaction with urinary condition were signi ficantly associated with visiting the doctor (P<0.0001), but only 28% (88/318) of men and 27% (179/662) of women with troublesome LUTS saw a doctor, and 63% (65/104) of men and 59% (162/274) of women dissatisfi ed with their urinary condition did not seek medical help. Conclusions : Although the prevalence of troublesome LUTS in the community is high , the number of people whose quality of life is substantially affected is much lower. The impact of these symptoms upon quality of life is a major reason for patients to see a doctor, yet many who are ''bothere d'' by the symptoms do not do so.