Moderating Perceptions of Bother Reports by Individuals Experiencing Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms

Overview

Journal Qual Health Res

Publisher Sage Publications

Specialty Health Services

Date 2011 Apr 13

PMID 21483026

Citations 7

Authors

Elizabeth M Botelho

Emily A Elstad

Simone P Taubenberger

Sharon L Tennstedt

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

We compared reports of symptom bother for the same urinary symptoms to understand why symptom severity and bother do not correspond in a straightforward manner. We used a grounded theory approach to analyze qualitative data from 123 individual interviews and developed a conceptual framework, identifying three symptom perceptions that might moderate symptom bother: causal, relative, and uncertainty. Symptom bother was lower for respondents who viewed symptoms causally (symptoms seemed explainable or "normal") or relatively (urinary symptoms were compared to other symptoms or conditions). Bother tended to be higher for respondents who viewed symptoms with uncertainty (when symptom etiology and course were unknown). A greater portion of respondents in the causal perception group had not sought health care for their symptoms. This conceptual framework is useful for understanding the relationship between reactions to and health care seeking for other symptoms.

Citing Articles

Lower urinary tract symptom severity, urinary bother, and incident life-space mobility restriction among older men.

Bauer S, Le T, Ensrud K, Cawthon P, Newman J, Suskind A J Am Geriatr Soc. 2022; 71(4):1093-1104.

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Overactive bladder symptom severity, bother, help-seeking behavior, and quality of life in patients with type 2 diabetes: a path analysis.

Xu D, Zhao M, Huang L, Wang K Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2018; 16(1):1.

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Qualitative insights into the experiences of living with moderate-to-severe lower urinary tract symptoms among community-dwelling ageing males.

Suen L, Cheng H, Yeung S, Au-Yeung C, Lee J, Ho K PLoS One. 2017; 12(10):e0187085.

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Adaptation and validation of the Michigan Incontinence Severity Index in a Turkish population.

Sargin M, Yassa M, Taymur B, Ergun E, Akca G, Tug N Patient Prefer Adherence. 2016; 10:929-35.

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Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Grounded Theory Research.

Draucker C, Al-Khattab H, Hines D, Mazurczyk J, Russell A, Stephenson P Qual Rep. 2015; 19(17).

PMID: 26401523 PMC: 4577052.

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