Prevalence of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms and Contributing Factors among Medical Students

Lower urinary tract symptoms are observed in individuals with pathologies affecting the lower urinary system. This survey aimed to evaluate the prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms and the contributing factors amongst medical students, a young population undergoing a stressful educational process.

A 43-question survey was prepared for the first to sixth year medical students, incorporating the constipation scoring system to evaluate constipation, the generalized anxiety disorder 7-item scale to assess anxiety levels, and the core lower urinary tract symptom score to explore the lower urinary tract symptoms. The survey collected data on dietary habits, smoking status, consumption of alcoholic and caffeinated drinks, living conditions, age, gender, body mass index and educational level of the participants.

The sample included 222 participants, with a median age of 22 years. The participants consisted of male (46.4%) and female (53.6%) students. The prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms was 83.78%. Amongst storage symptoms, urgency was the most frequent, affecting 59.0% of participants. Additionally, 58.10% of individuals experienced at least one voiding symptom, with the feeling of incomplete bladder emptying being the most common. In multivariate analyses, constipation (p < 0.001), gender (p = 0.016), anxiety (p = 0.027) and smoking (p = 0.014) were risk factors for storage symptoms, and increased body mass index (p = 0.048) and constipation (p < 0.001) were risk factors for voiding symptoms.

This study highlights the high prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms amongst medical students and identifies various contributing factors. The findings underscore the need for awareness and interventions to address lower urinary tract symptoms in this population, particularly considering its effect on quality of life.