Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Obese Children

Abstract

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) is very common in childhood. We aimed to investigate the frequency of LUTS in obese, overweight and normal children using voiding dysfunction symptom score validated for Turkish children by Akbal and et al. The children older than five-years-old who were followed in Pediatric Nutrition and Metabolism Outpatient Clinic were included. Children with a body mass index above the 95th percentile were classified as obese. The symptom score was administered face to face to each child and their mothers together. A score ≥9 was defined as lower urinary tract dysfunction (LUTD). A 164 children (62 obese, 52 overweight, 50 normal) were included. Symptom score was significantly higher in obese children than in overweight and normal weight children. (p=0.004, p=000, respectively). Overweight children had higher symptom score than in normal weight children (p=0.037). The frequency of daily urinary incontinence was higher in obese than overweight and normal weight children (p=0.041, p=0.000, respectively). The both obese and overweight children had higher frequencies of urgency and increased urinary frequency than in children with normal weight (p=0.002, p=0.021 for urgency, p=0.000, p=0.037 for increased urinary frequency, respectively). The frequencies of voiding postponement and constipation were higher in the obese children than those of overweight and normal weight (p=0.000, p=0.000 for voiding postponement, p=0.031, p=0.028 for constipation respectively). Obesity is a significant risk factor for LUTD. The questioning LUTS using questionnaire validated by Akbal et al in obese children can help in the early diagnosis of LUTD.