Risk factors for nocturia in Taiwanese women aged 20-59 years

Objective: To assess the risk factors for nocturia among Taiwanese women aged 20-59 years. Materials and Methods: A random sample of 4,549 women aged 20-59 years was selected by multistage sampling. A total of 3,537 women were interviewed face-to-face by well-trained interviewers and local public health nurses. The definition of lower urinary tract symptoms used is that as defined by the International Continence Society. Variables of sociodemography, medical histories, obstetric and gynecologic histories, and lower urinary tract symptoms were recorded. The factors were assessed by frequency and logistic regression analyses using a significance level of less than 0.05. Results: The prevalence of nocturia increased significantly with age (p <0.001), body mass index (p <0.001), diabetes mellitus (p = 0.024), hypertension (p = 0.001), previous gynecologic operation (p = 0.003), drug allergy (p = 0.036), and marital status (p = 0.000). However, there was no relationship between nocturia and smoking, alcohol consumption, parity, hysterectomy, menopause or hormone therapy. Conclusion: Although the answers to the etiology of nocturia are still not all known, nocturia has been associated with various factors, suggesting that multiple approaches are necessary in the treatment of patients with nocturia.