Acute dysuria among female soldiers.
OBJECTIVE
To assess behavior patterns among active duty female soldiers presenting to military care facilities for acute dysuria.


METHODS
A self-administered questionnaire was developed. One hundred twelve female soldiers presenting with acute dysuria and one hundred twenty-six presenting for other reasons were surveyed.


RESULTS
During regular duty hours, the dysuria group drank less than the control group (21% and 14%, respectively; p = 0.004). However, field duty appeared to compound this problem, with the dysuria group drinking considerably less than the control group (79% and 19%, respectively; p = 0.002). Both groups stated that they postponed urination during working hours. The dysuria group postponed urination more than did the control group during regular duty (75% and 53%, respectively; p = 0.006) and field duty (79% and 65%, respectively; p = 0.008).


CONCLUSIONS
Female soldiers presenting with dysuria were more likely to report fluid restriction and to postpone voiding during duty, behaviors that were reported even more frequently during field duty. Fluid restriction and postponed urination may be significant factors in the development of acute dysuria among female soldiers.
Albright
Todd S
TS
Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, 6900 Georgia Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20307, USA.
Gehrich
Alan P
AP
Buller
Jerome L
JL
Davis
Gary D
GD
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004327:Drinking Behavior; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D008887:Military Medicine; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D014038:Toilet Facilities; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014554:Urination / Q000502:physiology; D014555:Urination Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology