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Journal of Public Health Medicine 22:427-434 (2000)
© 2000 Faculty of Public Health Medicine of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom

An epidemiological study to establish the prevalence of urinary symptoms and felt need in the community: the Leicestershire MRC incontinence study


S Perry0,z
C Shaw0
P Assassa0
H Dallosso0
K Williams0
KR Brittain1
F Mensah0
N Smith0
M Clarke0
C Jagger0
C Mayne2
CM Castleden1
J Jones0
C McGrother0

0 Leicestershire MRC Incontinence Study, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Leicester, 22-28 Princess Road West, Leicester LE1 6TP, UK
1 Department of Medicine for the Elderly,
2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Leicester General Hospital, Gwendolen Road, Leicestershire LE5 4PW, UK
z Corresponding author
E-mail: sip1@leicester.ac.uk

Background.The aim of the study was to establish the prevalence of urinary symptoms and felt the need in adults. This paper discusses problems with setting thresholds to distinguish cases from non-cases in this field of research. Few studies have provided detailed age- and sex-specific prevalence estimates for felt need in relation to urinary symptoms.

Method.A cross-sectional postal survey was carried out of 15 904 community-dwelling adults aged 40 years or more registered with general practitioners in Leicestershire. Subjects were selected randomly by household from the Leicestershire Health Authority Register. The postal questionnaire consisted of questions on general health, urinary and bowel symptoms, quality of life, service use and demographic characteristics.

Results.Thirty-four per cent of the sample reported clinically significant symptoms. The prevalence and severity of symptoms increased with age. However, only 2 per cent of the sample reported symptoms that were clinically significant, bothersome and socially disabling.

Conclusion.Urinary symptoms are very common in adults over 40 years of age living in the community. However, symptom-based estimates probably overestimate the level of need for health care in the community. It may be more effective and efficient to target services, in the first instance, on those people who report clinically significant symptoms that are bothersome or socially disabling. A consensus on thresholds and definitions of urinary symptoms is required to standardize clinical and research work and to target services more appropriately.

Keywords: urinary symptoms, prevalence, felt need


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