title: The natural history of urinary symptoms during adolescence.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Bristol Urological Institute, Southmead Hospital, UK.
authors.forename: L V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Swithinbank
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Brookes
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Shepherd
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Abrams
mesh_terms: 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*