Psychosocial Comorbidities and Obesity are Associated with Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Children with Voiding Dysfunction

Purpose: There is emerging awareness of comorbid psychosocial characteristics in children with lower urinary tract dysfunction. To explore the prevalence of these comorbidities and their relationship to lower urinary tract symptoms, we examined the psychosocial comorbidities and body mass index of children with lower urinary tract dysfunction.Materials and Methods: We prospectively collected data on all new patients 6 to 17 years old with nonneurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction who presented to a single nurse practitioner in 2011. Parents completed a 21-question lower urinary tract symptom score based on a validated questionnaire and a psychosocial questionnaire that screened for stressful life events and psychological diagnoses. We examined the correlation of body mass index percentile and psychosocial comorbidities with lower urinary tract symptom score.Results: Of the 358 patients 28.5% were obese, 31.8% had a recent life stressor and 22.9% had a comorbid psychiatric disorder. Younger age correla...