Prevalence of Overactive Bladder in U.S. Men Increased Significantly Since 2005

MONDAY, Aug. 5, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- In the United States, the prevalence of overactive bladder (OAB) among men was 14.5 percent in 2015 to 2020, reflecting a significant increase from 2005, according to a study published online July 15 in Scientific Reports.

Yu Cheng, from the Jiangxi Medical College at Nanchang University in China, and colleagues examined the current prevalence and recent trends of OAB among U.S. adult men and assessed the correlations between OAB and potential risk factors using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2005 and 2020. Trends in prevalence were examined from 2005 to 2008, 2009 to 2014, and 2015 to 2020.

The researchers found that the overall prevalence of OAB increased slightly from 11.3 to 11.7 percent in 2005-2008 to 2009-2014 and then increased significantly to 14.5 percent in 2015-2020. Stronger increases in prevalence were seen for those who were aged 40 to 59 years, non-Hispanic White and non-Hispanic Black individuals, and those with overweight and obesity. Independent risk factors for OAB included older age, non-Hispanic Black race, lower educational level and family poverty ratio, diabetes, depression, sleep disorder, other chronic comorbidities, less intense recreational activity, poorer health condition, and unsafe food.

"Future studies are needed to address OAB disparities across sociodemographic subgroups and to investigate the factors driving the rising trends in subtypes of OAB among older men, non-Hispanic White and Black, and obese men," the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text