Risk factors for nocturnal enuresis in school-age children.
OBJECTIVE
Although nocturnal enuresis is common in children, its etiology is multifactorial and not fully understood. We evaluated potential risk factors for presence and severity of nocturnal enuresis.


METHODS
A validated, reproducible questionnaire was distributed to 8,230 school children in Sydney, Australia. Nocturnal enuresis was defined as any wetting in the previous month and categorized as mild (1 to 6 nights), moderate (7 or more nights but less than nightly) or severe (nightly).


RESULTS
Parents of 2,856 children (mean +/- SD age 7.3 +/- 1.3 years) completed the questionnaire (response rate 35%). Overall prevalence of nocturnal enuresis was 18.2%, with 12.3% of patients having mild, 2.5% moderate and 3.6% severe enuresis. Multivariate analysis showed that daytime incontinence (OR 4.8, 95% CI 2.9 to 7.9), encopresis (OR 2.7, 95% CI 1.6 to 4.4), bladder dysfunction (OR 3.6, 95% CI 2.4 to 5.3) and male gender (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.3 to 3.1) were associated with severe nocturnal enuresis after adjustment for age. Emotional stressors (OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.2 to 4.2) and social concerns (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.2 to 4.5) were associated with moderate nocturnal enuresis only.


CONCLUSIONS
Encopresis and daytime incontinence are significant modifiable risk factors for nocturnal enuresis. Expressed as population attributable risk, 23% of nocturnal enuresis is associated with encopresis and daytime incontinence. Psychosocial factors appear to contribute to moderate but not severe nocturnal enuresis.
Sureshkumar
Premala
P
School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. premalas@chw.edu.au
Jones
Mike
M
Caldwell
Patrina H Y
PH
Craig
Jonathan C
JC
D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D053206:Nocturnal Enuresis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index