Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of Chinese primary care patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS).
Methods: Five hundred and nineteen primary care subjects with LUTS completed a structured questionnaire containing the International Prostate Symptom Score, the adapted Incontinence Impact Questionnaire-7, the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence Short Form, the Chinese (HK) SF-12 Health Survey Version 2 (SF-12 v2) and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21.
Results: LUTS patients had poorer HRQOL for the General Health and the Vitality domains and lower Physical Component Summary scores, but better HRQOL for the Role Emotion domain than the adjusted Hong Kong population norms. Clinical factors associated with poorer HRQOL measured by the SF-12 v2 included having more severe LUTS and having more severe depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms. Socio-demographic factors associated with poorer SF-12 v2 were consistent with those found in the general populations. Clinical and socio-demographic factors associated with poorer HRQOL assessed by condition-specific measures included having more severe LUTS (excluding intermittency and straining), the presence of mixed urinary incontinence, having more severe anxiety and stress symptoms, younger age, being not married, being in employment and having a lower household income.
Conclusions: LUTS had substantial negative impact on patients' overall health perception and global well-being in Chinese population. A decline in HRQOL might be a key determinant for Chinese patients with LUTS to seek treatment. Patients with nocturia, frequency, urgency or mixed urinary incontinence and younger patients deserve more treatment attention because they appear to have poorer HRQOL.