Chronic prostatitis (CP) can impair health-related quality of life (QOL), but the full impact of CP, including the impact of CP-like symptoms in men who have no CP diagnosis (CPS), is unknown. We estimated the impact of diagnosed CP (DCP) and CPS on Health-related QOL.
From a representative nationwide survey of men aged 20-84 in Japan, we determined the prevalence of DCP and also of CPS. For CPS, we used Nickel's criteria, which were used previously to estimate the prevalence of CP and are based on the NIH Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index. To test the robustness of Nickel's criteria, we used two other definitions of CPS (two sensitivity analyses). We measured QOL with the Short-Form 12-Item Health Survey. We compared the participants' QOL scores with the national-norm scores, and with the scores of men who had benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
Among the 5 010 participants, 1.4% had DCP and 3.7% had CPS. The sensitivity analyses resulted in CPS prevalence estimates of 3.1% and 4.5%. CPS was particularly common in younger participants (5.7% of those in their 30 s had CPS). QOL was very low among men with CP: In most areas (domains) of QOL, their scores were more than 0.5 standard deviation below the national-norm mean. Their mental-health scores were lower than those of men with BPH. The lowest scores among all 8 QOL domains were in role-functioning.
CP is common, but it is underdiagnosed, particularly in younger men. Whether diagnosed or only suspected, CP's impact on QOL is large. Because CP is common, and because it substantially impairs individuals' QOL and can also reduce societal productivity, it requires more attention. Specifically, needed now is a simple tool for urologists and for primary care providers, to identify men, particularly young men, whose QOL is impaired by CP.
Prostate cancer and prostatic diseases. 2022 Jun 25 [Epub ahead of print]
Mikio Sugimoto, Yasukazu Hijikata, Yoichiro Tohi, Hideya Kuroda, Mineo Takei, Takakazu Matsuki, Tsukasa Kamitani, Yoshiyuki Kakehi, Yosuke Yamamoto, Shunichi Fukuhara
Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Kagawa, Japan. ., Department of Healthcare Epidemiology, School of Public Health in the Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan., Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Kagawa, Japan., Kuroda Urology Clinic, Osaka, Japan., Department of Urology, Harasanshin General Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan., Matsuki Urology Clinic, Kagawa, Japan., Section of Education for Clinical Research, Kyoto University Hospital, Kyoto, Japan., Section of Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Community Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.