Abstract
Introduction and hypothesis
Although some psychiatric anxiety questionnaires include overactive bladder (OAB) questions, there are few controlled data to confirm such an association. We tested the association between OAB and anxiety using a control group of women with non-OAB lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).
Methods
Patients referred to a urogynecology clinic for LUTS completed two questionnaires: the International Consultation on Incontinence Modular Questionnaire for Overactive Bladder (ICIQ-OAB), and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item Scale (GAD-7). Based on ICIQ-OAB scores, patients were dichotomized as having OAB versus LUTS-other, and GAD-7 scores categorized patients as having anxiety. A 2-tailed Fisher’s exact test was used to test the association between OAB and anxiety. Demographic variables were collected and significant confounders were included in a logistic regression analysis. Sample size calculation indicated a need for 100 subjects, but we recruited 105 subjects to account for incomplete questionnaires.
Results
One hundred and five subjects were enrolled (one excluded owing to incomplete questionnaires). Sixty-five patients had OAB and 39 had LUTS-other. Of the OAB patients, 17 out of 65 (26.2%) had anxiety, compared with 3 out of 39 (7.7%) of the LUTS-other group (p = 0.038 by Fisher’s exact test, with a slight drop to p = 0.056 in the regression analysis).
Conclusions
There appears to be an association between OAB and anxiety and it may be of clinical importance to assess for anxiety in patients that present with OAB symptoms. The drop in statistical significance from p = 0.038 to a borderline significance of p = 0.056 in the regression analysis may be a reflection of the sample size.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Josie Chundamala, Scientific Grant Editor funded by the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Mount Sinai Hospital, for complimentary assistance editing and preparing this manuscript for submission.
Funding
Competitive grant from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Toronto.
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Appendices
Appendix 1: International Consultation on Incontinence Modular Questionnaire for Overactive Bladder (ICIQ-OAB)
Many people experience urinary symptoms some of the time. We are trying to find out how many people experience urinary symptoms, and how much they bother them. We would be grateful if you could answer the following questions, thinking about how you have been, on average, over the PAST FOUR WEEKS.
Appendix 2: Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-Item Scale (GAD-7)
Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by the following problems?
Appendix 3: The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)
Over the last 2 weeks, how often have you been bothered by any of the following problems?
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Mutungi, S., Parrish, J., Maunder, R. et al. Is overactive bladder independently associated with anxiety?. Int Urogynecol J 30, 1763–1769 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-019-04018-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-019-04018-4