Racial Differences in the Prevalence of Overactive Bladder in the United States From the Epidemiology of LUTS (EpiLUTS) Study

ObjectivesTo estimate the prevalence of overactive bladder (OAB) in men and women in the United States (US) to determine whether there were racial differences.MethodsThis was a secondary analysis of data from the EpiLUTS (Epidemiology of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms) survey, an Internet-based cross-sectional, population-representative epidemiologic survey conducted in the US, UK, and Sweden. These analyses were limited to the data of men and women aged 40 and older from the US. The presence of OAB was defined as experiencing urinary urgency or urinary urgency incontinence. Case definitions of OAB symptoms were categorized as occurring at least “sometimes.” Prevalence rates of OAB were estimated by race. Logistic regression analyses were conducted for each gender to examine the role of race on OAB status, controlling for risk factors and comorbid conditions.ResultsThe response rate in the US was 59.6%. A total of 9237 men and 10,407 women self-identified their race and were included in the analytic sample. The prevalence of OAB at least “sometimes” ranged from 26% in Asian men to 33% in African American men. Similarly, the prevalence of OAB at least “sometimes” was lowest in Asian women (27%) and highest in African American women (46%). Race was predictive of OAB in men but not for women.ConclusionsThe prevalence of OAB ranged from 26-33% across races for men and from 27-46% across races for women. African American and Hispanic race is predictive of OAB for men but not for women.