The Burden of Bladder Pain in Five European Countries: A Cross-sectional Study

To estimate the burden of illness associated with bladder pain in 5 European countries: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

Patients with a diagnosis of bladder pain (ie, unpleasant sensation, pain, pressure, or discomfort related to the urinary bladder) were identified from data collected by the cross-sectional National Health and Wellness Survey performed in 2013. Propensity score matching was used to construct a comparator group without bladder pain (1 case: 2 controls). Assessments were performed for several outcomes including health-related quality of life (HRQoL; 36-item Short-Form, version 2), work-related function (Work Productivity and Activity Impairment questionnaire), employment status, and all-cause healthcare resource use.

We identified 275 patients with a physician diagnosis of bladder pain, 274 of whom were successfully matched to 548 controls without bladder pain. Compared with matched controls, patients with bladder pain had significantly impaired HRQoL (mental component summary: 38.5 vs 44.5; physical component summary: 38.9 vs 47.8; P <.001). Overall work productivity loss was significantly greater in patients with bladder pain compared with matched controls (41.7% vs 21.5%; P <.001). Patients with bladder pain were also significantly more likely to use all-cause healthcare resources and make more visits to healthcare providers in the previous 6 months than matched controls (P <.001 for all outcomes).

Bladder pain is associated with a considerable burden in Europe in terms of impaired HRQoL and work productivity, and increased healthcare resource use.