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Enduring impact of childhood adversity on lower urinary tract symptoms in adult women
Author(s) -
Epperson C. Neill,
Duffy Korrina A.,
Johnson Rachel L.,
Sammel Mary D.,
Newman Diane K.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
neurourology and urodynamics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.918
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1520-6777
pISSN - 0733-2467
DOI - 10.1002/nau.24375
Subject(s) - medicine , lower urinary tract symptoms , nocturia , overactive bladder , affect (linguistics) , anxiety , confidence interval , body mass index , urinary system , psychiatry , psychology , prostate , alternative medicine , communication , pathology , cancer
Aims To determine whether childhood adversity is associated with self‐reported lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) among older adult women. Methods A convenience sample of women (≥55 years old) who presented to an academic urology practice or who had participated in a previous bladder health prevention study completed questionnaires including the LUTS Tool (on frequency and bother of LUTS), the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) Questionnaire, the Spielberger State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Results The average age (SD) of participants (N = 151) was 64.7 (6.9) years. The total number of ACEs predicted the total number of LUTS, β = .39 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.14, 0.64), P = .003, as well as LUTS frequency, β = .09 (95% CI = 0.04, 0.13), P < .001. ACEs predicted bother for nocturia, β = 0.12 (95% CI = 0.03, 0.22), P = .008. Negative affect symptoms did not mediate the relationship between the total number of ACEs and the total number of LUTS. Rather, ACEs predicted LUTS and negative affect symptoms through (at least partially) independent pathways. Analyses controlled for tobacco use, number of vaginal deliveries, hypertension, overactive bladder medication use, body mass index, income, and race because these variables were significantly associated with the total number of ACEs or total number of LUTS. Conclusions Childhood adversity has an enduring impact on risk for LUTS in adulthood even when controlling for potential confounds and this relationship cannot be explained by negative affect symptoms.