Prevalence, risk factors, psychological effects of children and adolescents with lower urinary tract symptoms: a large population-based study

BackgroundLower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are clinically frequent and seriously affect the psychological and mental health of children and adolescents. However, most studies on LUTS and its influence on the psychological behavior and mental health have focused on adults. This study aimed to investigate LUTS prevalence and associated factors in children and adolescents and explore its impact on psychological behavior.Materials and methodsFrom October 2019 to November 2021, an epidemiological LUTS survey was carried out on 6,077 children aged 6–15 years old in 12 primary and secondary schools in China by using anonymous questionnaires.ResultsA total of 5,500 valid questionnaires were collected, and the total prevalence of four representative symptoms of LUTS: urgency, frequency, daytime urinary incontinence, and nocturnal enuresis was 19.46%, 14.55%, 9.75%, and 8.4%, respectively. The prevalence decreased with age, which decreased rapidly in children aged 6–12 years old. The incidence of LUTS in those who did not continue to use disposable diapers (DD) and began to perform elimination communication (EC) after the age of 1 was significantly higher than that of those who stopped using DD and started EC before 1 year of age (P