The Prevalence of Overactive Bladder Symptoms in Women in Algeria, Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon: A Cross-Sectional Population-Based Survey

Abstract

Aims Estimate the prevalence of symptoms suggestive of overactive bladder (OAB) in women living in the Middle East to describe their demographic characteristics and explore treatment-seeking behavior. Methods Cross-sectional, population-based survey of women aged ≥ 40 years resident in Algeria, Jordan, Lebanon or Egypt. Respondents were recruited using computer-assisted telephone interview over approximately 4 months. Eligible respondents were asked to complete the OAB-V8, a validated questionnaire that explores the extent of bother from the key symptoms of OAB without clinical investigations. In addition, information regarding demographics, comorbidities and treatment behavior was collected, and respondents were stratified by age. Results A total of 2297 eligible women agreed to participate. Mean age was 54 ± 10 years; over half (59.3%) were aged 40–55 years. Overall, 53.8% of eligible women had symptoms suggestive of OAB (Jordan 58.5%; Egypt 57.5%; Algeria 49.9%; Lebanon 49.0%), with over 90% also reporting symptoms of urinary incontinence. Only 13.0% of women with symptoms suggestive of OAB were currently receiving treatment, while most (74.3%) had never been treated; these data were consistent across country and age categories. Among the untreated subgroup, almost half (48.7%) reported they were ‘not bothered by symptoms,’ while 8.4% considered OAB to be ‘part of normal aging’ and 4.7% did not know it was treatable. Conclusion A high prevalence of symptoms suggestive of OAB was observed, and the majority had symptoms of urinary incontinence. Despite the high prevalence, most women had never received treatment. Considering the potential significant impact of OAB symptoms on health, quality of life and productivity, these findings highlight an unmet medical need in the population studied. Strategies to improve treatment-seeking behavior (e.g., through education and tackling the stigma associated with OAB symptoms) may improve the diagnosis, management and health outcomes of women with OAB in the Middle East. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12325-020-01588-4.

Prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms and association with shift working in hospital staff

“…Among the voiding symptoms, intermittency in both of the women and men showed high prevalence. In various research on women LUTS, also incontinent stream considered as prevalent symptom 42 …”

Prevalence of and Associated Factors for Overactive Bladder Subtypes in Middle-Aged Women: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…In the present study, we focused specifically on the prevalence of OAB subtypes and their significant associated factors. This study collected data on the prevalence of OAB, OAB dry and OAB wet (67%, 25%, 41%, respectively); however, other studies have calculated the prevalence of OAB, OAB dry and OAB wet in women to be 1.9–54% [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 9 , 10 ], 2.4–10.3% [ 1 , 8 , 11 ], and 2–6.5% [ 1 , 8 , 11 ], respectively. The inconsistency in results may be due to differences in the age distributions [ 1 , 8 , 9 , 14 ], race or ethnicity [ 6 ], and/or differences in survey methodology [ 25 ].…”

“…The inconsistency in results may be due to differences in the age distributions [ 1 , 8 , 9 , 14 ], race or ethnicity [ 6 ], and/or differences in survey methodology [ 25 ]. In other studies, conducting in-person [ 9 ] or telephone interviews [ 2 , 3 , 26 ] was found to easily result in underestimation [ 25 ], possibly because participants may have felt reluctant or embarrassed to address such sensitive topics. In contrast to studies that conducted interviews, our study administered a self-reported questionnaire.…”

“…Individuals tend to pursue less social interaction and have a poorer quality of life when they have symptoms of an overactive bladder (OAB) [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]. Studies have demonstrated that OAB prevalence varies greatly among women aged ≥ 18 years, ranging from approximately 17% to 43% in Europe and the United States [ 2 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ] and from approximately 1.9% to 53.8% in Asia [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 , 10 ]. Studies have indicated that rates of OAB without incontinence (OAB dry ) and with incontinence (OAB wet ) range from 2.4% to 10.3% and from 2.0% to 9.3%, respectively [ 1 , 7 , 8 , 11 ].…”

Association between lower urinary tract symptoms and polycystic ovary syndrome

“…LUTS exceeds the critical threshold, quality of life is impaired, level of physical activity is decreased, and psychological condition is negatively affected 6 . Large-scale epidemiological studies have reported that, on average, 84% of women suffer from at least one of the lower urinary tract symptoms in their lifetime 7 .…”