Research by the National Association For Continence (NAFC) about the frustration endured by middle-aged women, who have overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms, will be published in the inaugural issue of Annals of Urology from San Lucas Medical. The purpose of the research was to learn more about what causes women to seek treatment for OAB, how committed women are to their current treatment for OAB and what influences them to change treatment. The study was funded by a research grant provided by Medtronic Inc., a leading medical device company.
On behalf of NAFC, Kelton Research, a California based consumer research and marketing services firm, conducted an online survey from March 18 to March 31, 2009. The survey was completed by 1,111 American women ages 40 to 65, 611 of whom self-reported symptoms of OAB. These 611 women were compared to the remaining 500 non-OAB sufferers in the sample for a baseline view of American women's beliefs about the role of health for achieving a sense of balance in life. Respondents with OAB were further sub-divided into three categories for analytical purposes: women who have never been treated, women who were currently undergoing treatment and women who stopped their treatment.
Based on this survey, NAFC found that middle-aged women are more likely to express annoyance and frustration about their OAB symptoms than embarrassment or stigmatization. In addition, findings suggest that frustration abounds among middle-aged women in treatment for OAB. More research is needed to support the suggestion that female baby boomers are not necessarily obstructed by embarrassment or stigma associated with bladder control in seeking solutions to conditions such as OAB. As a result of the findings, practitioners are encouraged by NAFC to be more interactive and instructional with patients by offering a combination therapy approach to managing symptoms. Moreover, NAFC is calling for greater public health education to make more people aware of their treatment options.
A full copy of the published paper can be found on NAFC's website, http://www.nafc.org/bladder-bowel-health/types-of-incontinence/urge-incontinence/#research.
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