title: Moderating perceptions of bother reports by individuals experiencing lower urinary tract symptoms.
abstract: We compared reports of symptom bother for the same urinary symptoms to understand why symptom severity and bother do not correspond in a straightforward manner. We used a grounded theory approach to analyze qualitative data from 123 individual interviews and developed a conceptual framework, identifying three symptom perceptions that might moderate symptom bother: causal, relative, and uncertainty. Symptom bother was lower for respondents who viewed symptoms causally (symptoms seemed explainable or "normal") or relatively (urinary symptoms were compared to other symptoms or conditions). Bother tended to be higher for respondents who viewed symptoms with uncertainty (when symptom etiology and course were unknown). A greater portion of respondents in the causal perception group had not sought health care for their symptoms. This conceptual framework is useful for understanding the relationship between reactions to and health care seeking for other symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Center for Qualitative Research, New England Research Institutes, Watertown, Massachusetts 02472, USA. ebotelho@neriscience.com
authors.forename: Elizabeth M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Botelho
authors.forename: Emily A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Elstad
authors.forename: Simone P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Taubenberger
authors.forename: Sharon L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Tennstedt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003153:Community Health Services; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D059411:Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010465:Perception; D011582:Psychological Theory; D011594:Psychometrics; D011634:Public Health; D036301:Qualitative Research; D057566:Self Report; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D013315:Stress, Psychological