Self-reported urinary incontinence, voiding frequency, voided volume and pad-test results: variables in a prospective study in children.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the congruence between self-reported and objective data on incontinence, voided volume (VV) and voiding frequency (VF), in a prospective study of treatment of functional urinary incontinence (UI) due to urge syndrome or dysfunctional voiding in children.


METHODS
In all, 202 children, enrolled in the European Bladder Dysfunction Study (EBDS), provided self-reported data on UI, VV and VF, before and after treatment, with validated questionnaires and 72-h voiding diaries. Objective data were obtained with uroflowmetry and a 12-h pad test, also before and after treatment. Questionnaires and diaries were checked and scored by a urotherapist, at scheduled office visits that were combined with uroflowmetry.


RESULTS
At entry, parents under-reported UI on the questionnaires in 45% of cases, compared with the urotherapist's scores, and the 12-h pad test sensitivity for UI was only 64% (95% confidence interval 55-73%). The voiding diaries had inconsistent entries on UI and on VV. VF was overestimated in the questionnaires and underestimated in the diaries, compared with the urotherapist's scores. A VF of >7/day decreased significantly after EBDS treatment, but with no correlation with treatment outcome. The mean VV increased significantly after treatment for UI, also with no correlation with treatment outcome.


CONCLUSIONS
Voiding diaries and questionnaires are useful tools for charting individual treatment and for screening, but they are ill-suited to documenting outcome variables in urge syndrome or dysfunctional voiding, because of over- and under-reporting. VV and VF lack specificity as outcome variables in children with urge syndrome or dysfunctional voiding. The 12-h pad test is not sensitive enough to complement self-reported symptoms of UI in children with urge syndrome or dysfunctional voiding. Clinical studies on UI rely on complaints and self-reported symptoms, but in children the reporting should be supervised by a trained urotherapist, to provide the necessary checks and balances.
Bael
An M
AM
Department of Paediatric Nephrology, University Hospital Antwerp, Belgium. anbael@attglobal.net
Lax
Hildegard
H
Hirche
Herbert
H
Gäbel
Elisabeth
E
Winkler
Pauline
P
Hellström
Anna-Lena
AL
van Zon
Roelie
R
Janhsen
Ellen
E
Güntek
Sophie
S
Renson
Catherine
C
van Gool
Jan D
JD
D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016496:Incontinence Pads; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012650:Self Disclosure; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D001745:Urinary Bladder Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D014563:Urodynamics / Q000502:physiology*