Prevalence and Risk factors of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Menopausal Women

Abstract

Introduction: Lower urinary tract symptoms is existing everywhere in the world and depending on the age, geographical location, and culture it is having great impact. They encompass different disease features which include-storage, voiding and post micturition. Numerous risk factors have been identified, and there are  few published articles concerning the frequency of LUTS in menopausal women as well as their associated risk  factors. Thus, this study was formulated with the intention of ascertaining the incidence and the risk indicators of LUTS in menopausal women.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of the observational type which was carried out in the Paropakar Maternity & Women’s Hospital Thapathali, Kathmandu. Approval to carry out the study was sought and granted from the IRC. It was a hospital-based descriptive cross-sectional study conducted in gynecological outdoor patient department involving all menopausal women who presented themselves to the clinic between February 1st to April 30th 2024 using convenience sampling technique. Among the study population having LUTS, their details and possible risk factors were incorporated in this study.

Results: Three hundred menopausal women were recruited in the study during the considered period of time. Mean age of menopause was 48. 3 years. Concerning LUTS, the current study established a prevalence rate of 71.7% among the respondents. The most frequently reported complaint was urgency  reported by 39 % of the patients ,seconded by incontinence reported by 35. 7% of the patients and  thirdly nocturia was reported by 23% of patients. In menopausal women, the factors that may increase the risk to develop LUTS were BMI, having a history of childbirth and recurrent UTI.

Conclusion: LUTS was significantly high among menopausal women in Paropakar Maternity and Women’s Hospital, the most dominating symptom was urgency and the second one was incontinence. Several factors were established to be predictive of LUTS namely; BMI, giving birth and a history of  recurrent UTI but there was no statistical evidence related to the type of delivery.
Keywords: Lower urinary tract symptoms, menopause, women