Table 3.
Overview of published English-language population-based studies assessing degree of bother from individual lower urinary tract symptoms*
| Leicestershire (United Kingdom) [14] | Bristol (United Kingdom) [15] | Central Sydney (Australia) [16] | Copenhagen and Storstrøms (Denmark) [17] | Finland (present study) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Data collection method | Interviewer-administered questionnaire | Mailed questionnaire | Telephone interview | Mailed questionnaire | Mailed questionnaire |
| Sample source | General practice patient list | General practice patient list | Telephone registry | Population registry | Population registry |
| Respondents | 423 | 2075 | 340 | 2860 | 3727 |
| Response proportion, % | 65.2 | 79.8 | 65.5 | 71.7 | 62.4 |
| Sample age, yr | 40–70+ | 19–97 | 40–80 | 40, 45, 50, 55, 60 | 18–79 |
| Questionnaire used | Maine prostatectomy instrument; ICS-BPH (developmental version) | BFLUTS | Modified IPSS | Modified BFLUTS | DAN-PSS |
| Total number of urinary symptoms with bother reported | 18 | 14 | 6 | 12 | 12 |
| Number of urinary symptoms per category (voiding/storage/postmicturition/other) | 6/8/2/2 | 4/7/1/2 | 2/3/1/0 | 2/8/2/0 | 3/6/2/1 |
| Symptom with greatest bother among the affected, individual level, W | NA | Nocturiaa | NA | Continuous incontinenceb | Urgency urinary incontinencec |
| Symptom with most prevalent bother, population level, W | NA | Stress urinary incontinenceb | NA | Stress urinary incontinenceb | Stress urinary incontinencec |
| Symptom with greatest bother among the affected, individual level, M | Daytime frequency | NA | Hesitancyb | NA | Urgency urinary incontinencec |
| Symptom with most prevalent bother, population level, M | Terminal dribble | NA | Postmicturition dribbleb, d | NA | Postmicturition dribblec |
BFLUTS = Bristol Female Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms; DAN-PSS = Danish Prostatic Symptom Score; ICS-BPH = International Continence Society-Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia; IPSS = International Prostate Symptom Score; LUTS = lower urinary tract symptoms; M = men; NA = not applicable; W = women.
Includes population-based studies reporting on specific bother of more than five LUTS, identified by PubMed search (up to December 18, 2013) with terms bother combined with lower urinary tract symptoms or LUTS or urinary symptoms.
Among symptomatic subjects, the proportion of individuals with bother for each LUTS was calculated to determine the individual level of bother of each symptom. To determine the most prevalent bother at the population level, the prevalence of respondents with bother was calculated for each symptom.
The study defined nocturia as more than two times per night.
This information was not reported in the paper but was calculated by us.
Urinary urgency (population level) and urgency urinary incontinence (individual level) were the most bothersome when both genders were combined.
According to the article, terminal dribble was assessed by using the question: “Would you ever drip a little bit of urine just as you are leaving?” However, we consider this as postmicturition dribble.