Perceptions of urinary symptoms and health-care-seeking behaviour amongst men aged 40-79 years

Little is known about why men fail to seek medical help for urological symptoms.

This study was designed to document men's perceptions of urinary symptoms and to increase understanding of health-care-seeking behaviour.

A stratified random sample of men aged 40-79 years was drawn from the age-sex register of a health centre in Central Scotland. Two hundred men were interviewed using semi-structured qualitative techniques and asked to complete a symptom questionnaire. The response rate was 65%.

Urinary symptoms reported to be most bothersome were dribbling, hesitancy and straining. All but the youngest age group (40-49 years) associated developing urinary symptoms with ageing. This was considered to be a reason not to consult a doctor. Most symptoms were not thought to be serious. Pain, haematuria and acute retention gave cause for concern, and were perceived as reasons for seeking medical help. Although urinary symptoms interfered with selected activities in daily life, this was not a worry to the men and was not seen to be a sufficient reason alone to consult their general practitioner.

The insidious development of urinary problems over time reinforces the belief that it is part of getting older and accounts for the accommodation of symptoms within men's everyday living experiences. Bothersomeness associated with urinary symptoms was not synonymous with worry or problems. Doctors must be prepared to initiate discussion about urinary function in order to assess the impact of symptoms on an individual's daily life.