Prevalence of Neurogenic Bowel and Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunctions in Brazilians With Traumatic and Nontraumatic...

Neurogenic bowel dysfunction and neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction are often associated with spinal cord injury (SCI). In Brazil, studies and statistical data on these dysfunctions are scarce.

To estimate the prevalence of neurogenic bowel dysfunction and neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction in Brazilians diagnosed with traumatic and nontraumatic SCI.

In this retrospective cross-sectional study, a form was used to collect sociodemographic and clinical data from medical records. The Mann-Whitney statistical tests were used for 2 independent samples, Pearson's chi-square test for categorical variables, and the Kruskal-Wallis test for more than 2 independent samples for quantitative variables. A logistic regression model was used to understand the factors associated with neurogenic bowel dysfunction.

The sample comprised 1056 participants from all regions of Brazil. Of this sample, 60.90% had traumatic SCI, and 69.03% were male. The prevalence of neurogenic bowel dysfunction in the sample was 88%, and the prevalence of neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction was 90.6%. Participants with traumatic SCI are more affected by neurogenic bowel and lower urinary tract dysfunction than those with nontraumatic SCI.

Most people with SCI have neurogenic lower urinary tract and bowel alterations, especially those with traumatic SCI. Further studies are needed, and bowel and bladder reeducation programs should be provided in rehabilitation centers.