Lower urinary tract dysfunction (LUTD) significantly impacts children's health-related quality of life (HRQoL), but key determinants of this impairment remain incompletely understood within a patient-centered framework.
This retrospective cross-sectional study enrolled 272 children with LUTD. Clinical symptoms were assessed using the Dysfunctional Voiding Scoring System (DVSS) and the Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS), and HRQoL via the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL™) 4.0 Generic Core Scales.
The mean total PedsQL score was 83.66 ± 16.07, with the School Functioning domain being the most impaired (73.75 ± 20.94). Univariate analysis identified older age (≥11 years), daytime urinary leakage, overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms, and abnormal DVSS scores as factors associated with reduced HRQoL (all P < 0.05); multivariate regression further confirmed only older age and abnormal DVSS were independent influencing factors (both P < 0.001). A significant negative correlation existed between the total DVSS score and the total PedsQL score (r = -0.390, P < 0.01), indicating that greater symptom severity predicts poorer overall HRQoL.
This study indicates that in children with LUTD, the severity of voiding dysfunction (quantified by DVSS) is inversely correlated with HRQoL. Voiding dysfunction impairs multiple domains of daily functioning, including physical well-being, emotional adjustment, social interaction, and school performance. Shifting from a symptom-focused to a patient-centered care model and integrating routine HRQoL assessment into standard clinical management can optimize clinical practice for pediatric LUTD.
Journal of pediatric urology. 2026 May 22 [Epub ahead of print]
Wudie Xia, Ting Kang, Qian Yang, WenJiao Huang
Department of pediatric surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China., Department of pediatric surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; West China School of Nursing, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China. Electronic address: .