Productivity, vitality and utility in a group of healthy professionally active individuals with nocturia.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the effect of nocturia on productivity, vitality and utility in a selected group of professionally active individuals with nocturia, compared with matched controls, and investigate the effect of symptom severity, to test the hypothesis that lack of sleep caused by frequent sleep interruptions could reduce an individuals' daytime energy and activity levels.


METHODS
Subjects (203) were recruited in Sweden through advertisements, and their suitability for the study assessed in a structured interview. Controls (80) matched for age and gender were randomly selected from a market research panel and given the same interview. Both groups completed a productivity questionnaire, a generic quality-of-life questionnaire with a specific domain for vitality and a utility instrument.


RESULTS
The study group with nocturia had a significantly lower level of vitality and utility, and greater impairment of work and activity, than the control group. Women were more affected than men. Symptom severity correlated with all three measures.


CONCLUSIONS
In an otherwise healthy and professionally active group of individuals, waking at night to void significantly diminishes their overall well-being, vitality and productivity, leading to a significant level of indirect and intangible costs.
Kobelt
G
G
HDI France, 492 Chemin des Laurens, 06530 Spéracèdes, France. kobelt.gisele@wanadoo.fr
Borgström
F
F
Mattiasson
A
A
D000041:Absenteeism; D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017281:Cost of Illness; D004526:Efficiency; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D017678:Sex Distribution; D018582:Sick Leave; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014555:Urination Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation