Meta-analyses of results of alarm treatment for nocturnal enuresis--reporting practice, criteria and frequency of bedwetting.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this article is to obtain a realistic picture of the efficiency of alarm treatment for nocturnal enuresis by means of meta-analysis (this is done by estimating a model for the success rate of the treatment as reported in the literature)and to interpret the results of the individual reports in the light of the model.


METHODS
A model including year of treatment, applied criteria for success and the frequency of wet nights is proposed and calculated.


RESULTS
The apparent decline in success over the period 1938-96 is explained in terms of systematic changes in reporting practice and underestimation of the problem of relapse. It is shown that the probability of the success of alarm treatment for nocturnal enuresis increases with the frequency of wet nights, confirming a previous finding of the authors.


CONCLUSIONS
Meta-analyses can give a much more realistic picture of the efficiency of alarm treatment for nocturnal enuresis than can be obtained from an individual report.
Kristensen
Gustav
G
Department of Statistics and Demography, University of Southern Denmark, Odense.
Jensen
Inga Nygaard
IN
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D004775:Enuresis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017678:Sex Distribution; D016896:Treatment Outcome