Prevalence of urinary tract infections and its risk factors in elementary school students.

Background: Childhood urinary tract infections (UTI) are one of the most important factors affecting adult health.

Aim: The study was a cross-sectional investigation to identify the prevalence of UTI and its risk factors.

Methods: The study included 2,511 6-8th grade elementary school students. Data were collected by questionnaire form and medical diagnosis. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses were performed.

Results: 7.1% of all participating students had UTI (10.1% girls, 4.2% boys). Students with a family history of UTI had a 3.763-fold risk of developing UTI (p < 0.05) compared to those without. Students who drank <1 liter of water daily had a 1.077 times higher risk of having the infection than those who drank >1 liter of water daily (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Students drinking an inadequate amount of water and having a family history had a high prevalence of UTI.