Socioeconomic status and health-related quality of life among adults and older with overactive bladder.

Objective: To study the effect of socioeconomic status (SES) on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among persons with overactive bladder (OAB).

Design: A randomized HRQoL study was conducted from the year 2014 until the year 2016 based on the OAB pathology department of the regional clinical diagnostics center.

Setting: The medical institutions where the study was conducted had outpatient care.

Participants: The simple response frequency was 81%. A total of 1893 men and women with OAB aged 35-85 (average 58.3 years) were selected by blind random sampling. Included into the group of examined individuals were persons who diagnosis provided after the examination was OAB.

Intervention: Evaluation of HRQoL was conducted using the SF-6D questionnaire. The OAB diagnosis was confirmed using the OAB-questionnaire and uroflowmetry.

Main Outcome Measure(s): We hypothesized that the impact of SES on the HRQoL of patients with OAB has significant features.

Results: Described for the first time were HRQoL measures in various SES levels within different ages of people suffering from OAB. The strongest relationship was identified between education level, professional activity and HRQoL measures; meanwhile the weakest relationship was between income and HRQoL measures. We also confirmed the efficiency of evaluating HRQoL while using SF-6D and SRH as an external standard.

Conclusion: The improvement of HRQoL in persons with OAB is contingent upon increment in their level of awareness about the methods of OAB treatment and the effectiveness of treatment for severe symptoms of LUT pathology, increased social support and, possibly, physical activity.