Adverse Childhood Experiences and Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms and Impact Among Women

This study utilizes CARDIA (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults) cohort study data to examine whether (1) family-based adverse childhood experiences, recalled by women aged 32 to 47, are associated with lower urinary tract symptoms and their impact, a composite variable with 4 levels (bladder health and mild, moderate, or severe lower urinary tract symptoms/impact), and (2) extensiveness of women's social networks in adulthood attenuates an association between adverse childhood experiences and lower urinary tract symptoms/impact.

In 2000-2001, frequency of adverse childhood experiences exposure was retrospectively assessed. In 2000-2001, 2005-2006, and 2010-2011, extensiveness of social networks was assessed; scores were averaged. In 2012-2013, lower urinary tract symptoms/impact data were collected. Logistic regression analyses examined whether adverse childhood experiences, extensiveness of social networks, and their interaction were associated with lower urinary tract symptoms/impact, adjusting for age, race, education, and parity (n=1,302).

Recall of more frequent family-based adverse childhood experiences was associated with report of more lower urinary tract symptoms/impact over 10 years later (OR=1.26, 95% CI=1.07, 1.48). Social networks during adulthood appeared to attenuate the association between adverse childhood experiences and lower urinary tract symptoms/impact (OR=0.64, 95% CI=0.41, 1.02). Among women with less extensive social networks, estimated probability of experiencing moderate or severe lower urinary tract symptoms/impact vs bladder health or mild lower urinary tract symptoms/impact was 0.29 and 0.21 for those reporting an adverse childhood experiences frequency corresponding to more than "a little" vs "rarely or none of the time," respectively. Among women with more extensive social networks, estimated probabilities were 0.20 and 0.21, respectively.

Family-based adverse childhood experiences are related to lower urinary tract symptoms/impact vs bladder health in adulthood. Additional research is needed to corroborate the potentially attenuating effect of social networks.