Debra E. Irwin, ¹ Ian Milsom, ² Con J. Kelleher, ³ Zoe Kopp ⁴

¹University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; ²Sahlgrenska Academy at Göteborg University, Göteborg, Sweden; ³St. Thomas’ Hospital, London, UK; ⁴Pfizer Inc, New York, NY, USA

Introduction and Objectives: We evaluated depressive symptoms, health-related quality of life (HRQL), and bladder condition severity in women with overactive bladder (OAB), with or without urinary incontinence (UI), and in women with stress UI (SUI).

Methods: A population-based survey of adults was conducted in 5 countries. Computer-assisted telephone interviews were conducted with a geographically stratified random sample of the population (N=19,165). OAB and subtypes of UI, including mixed (MUI), urgency (UUI), and SUI, were defined per 2002 International Continence Society (ICS) definitions. Cases were individuals with OAB and/or SUI symptoms; controls were frequency matched by age, gender, and country from individuals without OAB or SUI symptoms. Cases and controls were asked in-depth questions about HRQL and depressive symptoms. The EuroQoL (EQ-5D) measured overall HRQL (range of weighted utility scores, 0–1); Patient Perception of Bladder Condition (PPBC) assessed severity of bladder condition; and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies–Depression (CES-D) scale measured depressive symptoms (score range, 0–60). Lower EQ-5D scores indicated poorer HRQL, individuals reporting that their bladder condition caused at least minor problems were considered bothered, and a CES-D score ≥21 indicated major depressive symptoms.

Results: Results are summarized in the Table:

Conclusions: This was the first multinational, population-based study to measure generic HRQL, symptom bother, and depressive symptoms using validated questionnaires and current ICS definitions. Women with OAB reported poorer HRQL and more depressive symptoms compared to controls. Diminished HRQL, increased symptom bother, and more depressive symptoms were most pronounced among patients with OAB and UI. Women with SUI without OAB reported less impact than those with OAB and any type of UI.

UroToday.com Coverage of SUFU 2007

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