Knowledge gaps regarding available treatment and social stigmatization are barriers to care in patients with overactive bladder (OAB). We assessed the feasibility of an OAB education program targeting older community-dwelling females.
Community-dwelling women over 55 years old were recruited. Eligible participants underwent an education program covering continence-promotion strategies. The Overactive Bladder Questionnaire-Short Form and Short Form-12 were completed at baseline, 1 week, 3 months, and 6 months post-intervention to measure symptom bother and condition-specific and general quality of life (QoL). Data were analyzed using a linear mixed-effects model for repeated measures.
Thirty-seven female patients with OAB symptoms at baseline were assessed with the majority from Latino/Hispanic or Black/African American ethnic/racial backgrounds. For our youngest subgroup (≤68 years old), significant improvements were observed at 3 and 6 months compared to 1 week post-intervention for symptom bother (3 months, -22.75, p = 0.006; 6 months, -25.76; p = 0.001) and condition-specific and health-related QoL subscale scores for concern (3 months, +23.76, p = 0.006; 6 months, +22.15, p = 0.011) and social interaction (3 months, +21.11, p = 0.017; 6 months, +20.51; p = 0.021). For all age subgroups, improvements in general QoL measures for mental health were seen at 3 and 6 months compared to baseline (3 months, +7.57, p = 0.02; 6 months, +6.70; p = 0.048).
Statistically significant improvements in symptom bother, condition-specific, and general QoL measures were observed following an OAB education program pilot study in a predominantly minority female population. Further studies are needed to support efficacy and optimize program design.
Urologia internationalis. 2022 Mar 23 [Epub ahead of print]
Susana Martinez Díaz, Hudson Pierce, John Richard Lee, Tirsit Asfaw, Andrew Abram, Naeem Bhojani, Dean Elterman, Kevin Zorn, Bilal Chughtai
Department of Urology, Weill Cornell Medical College-New York Presbyterian, New York, New York, USA, ., Department of Urology, Weill Cornell Medical College-New York Presbyterian, New York, New York, USA., Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA., Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Weill Cornell Medical College-New York Presbyterian, New York, New York, USA., Division of Urology, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM), Université de Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada., Division of Urology, University Health Network (UHN), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.