The natural history of urinary symptoms during adolescence.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence and natural history of urinary symptoms and incontinence among healthy adolescent schoolchildren.


METHODS
A prospective longitudinal study using a confidential questionnaire administered to an original cohort of 1176 local schoolchildren at 11-12 years and again at 15-16 years old.


RESULTS
There was a decrease in the prevalence of urinary symptoms with age. Daywetting was reported by 12.5% of children aged 11-12 years and 3.0% of children aged 15-16 years. Nocturnal enuresis was reported by 4.7% of children at 11-12 years and 1.1% at 15-16 years. Some of the children reporting daywetting and nocturnal enuresis at 15-16 years old had not reported these symptoms at 11-12 years old.


CONCLUSIONS
Urinary symptoms become less prevalent with age, but are reported by a significant number of healthy schoolchildren.
Swithinbank
L V
LV
Bristol Urological Institute, Southmead Hospital, UK.
Brookes
S T
ST
Shepherd
A M
AM
Abrams
P
P
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004327:Drinking Behavior; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D004775:Enuresis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007845:Laughter; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000453:epidemiology*