title: Socioeconomic costs of overactive bladder and stress urinary incontinence in Korea.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We quantified and described the economic burden of overactive bladder and stress urinary incontinence in Korea. We calculated direct costs by identifying public and private data sources that contain population-based data on resource utilization by patients with stress urinary incontinence and overactive bladder.
  
  
  METHODS
  For estimating indirect costs (productivity loss), the human capital approach was applied. Data were collected from several institutes, including the Health Insurance Review Agency.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The estimated total economic cost in treating overactive bladder was 117 billion Korean Won (KRW, the currency of South Koea) in 2006 and 145 billion KRW in 2007. The estimated total cost in treating stress urinary incontinence was 122 billion KRW in 2006 and 59 billion KRW in 2007.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  By quantifying the total economic costs of overactive bladder and stress urinary incontinence, this study provides an important perspective in Korea. Because the average age of the Korean population is rapidly increasing, this study provides important information on the direct and indirect costs of overactive bladder and stress urinary incontinence for an aging society.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Kyung Hee University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Wooseuk
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.forename: Hyunwook
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: You
authors.forename: Tai Young
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Sun-Ju
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lee