title: Lower urinary tract symptoms in relation to region of birth in 95,393 men living in Australia: the 45 and Up Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are very common among older men globally, but evidence regarding the relationship between LUTS and country of origin is limited. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the prevalence of LUTS and region of birth in a large, ethnically diverse population of older men resident in New South Wales, Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on LUTS, demographic and behavioural factors were collected by postal questionnaire from 2006 to 2009 and analysed for 95,393 men aged 45 and over from the 45 and Up Study, who had not had previous prostate surgery. Logistic regression was used to investigate the association between region of birth and moderate/severe LUTS, ascertained using a modified International Prostate Symptom Score, adjusting for age, income, education, alcohol consumption and smoking.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 18,530 (19.4 %) men had moderate or severe LUTS. Compared to Australian-born men, prevalence of moderate/severe LUTS was significantly higher in men born in the Middle East & North Africa, Southeast Asia and North America regions (adjusted odds ratios (OR) = 1.43; 95 % CI = 1.23-1.66, OR = 1.25; 1.10-1.42, OR = 1.26; 1.05-1.52, respectively), whereas men from the UK & Ireland had significantly lower prevalence (OR = 0.85; 0.80-0.90). Patterns of association were generally similar for storage- and voiding-related types of LUTS. However, participants born in Sub-Saharan Africa showed a significantly elevated prevalence of moderate/severe voiding symptoms (1.22; 1.03-1.45) but not storage symptoms, compared to Australian-born respondents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of LUTS and of specific subtypes of LUTS varies according to region of birth.
authors.affiliation: National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Latz
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: Rosemary
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Korda
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Clements
authors.forename: Manish
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Terry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dwyer
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tikellis
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Banks
mesh_terms: D000352:Africa, Northern / Q000208:ethnology; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001210:Asia, Southeastern / Q000208:ethnology; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D001719:Birth Certificates; D006801:Humans; D059411:Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008877:Middle East / Q000208:ethnology; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D009656:North America / Q000208:ethnology; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires