title: Prevalence and perception of nocturnal enuresis in children of a rural community in southwestern Nigeria.
abstract: Nocturnal enuresis after the fifth year of life is a distressing problem. In Nigeria, there is a dearth of information about the condition. This cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the prevalence and perception of the condition among children in Igbo-Ora, a rural community in southwestern Nigeria. Four hundred parents/guardians were interviewed and information obtained on 644 children aged 6-12 years. Overall enuresis prevalence was 17.6% (19.9% among boys and 14.9% among girls). The reported causes of nocturnal enuresis included urinary tract infection (33.5%), excessive play (27.5%) and deep sleep (25%). A majority (74.5%) of the respondents would use herbs or traditional medicine to treat enuresis, while only 6.8% of the respondents sought orthodox healthcare facilities for its management. Only 18 (25%) of the 71 parents/guardians with enuretic children had ever consulted a health worker. The misconceptions and inappropriate enuresis management methods among the parents/guardians require health education intervention.
authors: Department of Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
authors: K O
authors: KO
authors: Osungbade
authors: F O
authors: FO
authors: Oshiname
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004775:Enuresis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D010290:Parents; D015995:Prevalence; D012423:Rural Health; D012737:Sex Factors