RESUMO
PURPOSE: This study was designed to provide the basic data for the development of the management program for overactive bladder by ascertaining its prevalence among Korean women aged over 30 years, and the factors related to its occurrence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was performed by using self-questionnaires through the community-based cross sectional study from May to July, 2000. The subjects consisted of 2869 women, aged over 30 up to 89 years, among those who understood and responded to the questionnaires, and was residing in Seoul, Kyongki Kangwon, Chungchong, YongNam, HoNam, Cheju proinces. They also did not have known neurological problem and diabetes mellitus. The data were analyzed by Student t-test, chi2-test, and multiple logistic regression with using SAS program. RESULTS: The results were as follows ; 1. They all experienced at least one of frequency, urgency, nocturia, urge incontinence for the past one year and 52.3% of the subjects had experienced symptom at least once in 5 voidings. The highest prevalence of overactive bladder was 86.2% in the category for 70 to 89 years, 74.3% for the sixties, 45.3% for the forties, 42.5% for the thirties. In the symptoms of 1499 women among subject, 19.4% of them had nocturia, 18.2% frequency, 10.5% urgency, 9.6% urge incontinence, 9.5% frequency and urgency, 5.9% frequency and nocturia. 2. The age(OR = 1.041, 95% Cl = 1.027, 1.055) and the menopause(OR = 0.696, 95% Cl = 0.527, 0.919) were related to overactive bladder occurrence. CONCLUSIONS: The above findings indicated that about the half of the women aged over 30 years had symptoms for overactive bladder, and the prevalence was higher in old women and the women with menopause. So, the prevention and management programs for overactive bladder are required to be developed, and the primary screening programs based on community shall be developed.