Effect of Bothersome Overactive Bladder Symptoms on Health-related Quality of Life, Anxiety, Depression, and Treatment Seeking in the United States: Results from EpiLUTS

Objective: To determine the bother associated with overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms and its influence on health-related quality of life (HRQL), anxiety, depression, and treatment seeking in adults in the United States.

Methods: Data from U.S. respondents aged ≥ 40 years participating in the Epidemiology of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms survey, a population-based, cross-sectional Internet survey, were analyzed to assess OAB prevalence, OAB-associated bother, and effect of OAB on HRQL, anxiety, depression, and healthcare use. Likert data were categorized as no/minimal OAB symptoms, OAB without bother, and OAB with bother at least "somewhat."

Results: Of 31 588 completed surveys, 20 000 participants (9416 men and 10 584 women) were randomly selected and matched to U.S. census demographics. Of the respondents with OAB at least "sometimes," the women were more likely than the men to be bothered by OAB, with 68% of the women and 60% of the men bothered at least "somewhat." Men and women with OAB with bother were more likely to report that their bladder condition caused at least some problems; had worse scores on HRQL, anxiety, and depression assessments; and had the greatest number of healthcare visits annually compared with those with OAB without bother and those with no/minimal symptoms. The strongest correlation between bother and symptom frequency was seen for urinary urgency, followed by urgency urinary incontinence and nocturia.

Conclusion: OAB symptoms can be quite bothersome, especially for women, and can negatively affect HRQL, increase anxiety and depression, and increase healthcare usage. In the present study, the strongest predictor of OAB-associated bother was urinary urgency.