Overactive Bladder in Female Graduate and Health Professions Students: Prevalence, Effect on Quality of Life, and Risk Factors

There is minimal data available on the prevalence of overactive bladder (OAB), the effect of OAB on quality of life (QOL), or the risk factors associated with OAB in young women. Also, there is little consistency in the methodology used in OAB studies, which makes it challenging to compare results across studies. The purposes of this study were to identify the prevalence of OAB, to evaluate the effect of OAB on QOL, and to identify factors associated with OAB in female graduate and health professions students. The hypotheses were that the prevalence of OAB in this group would be different from that reported in the general population, that the QOL of students identified as having OAB would be lower than QOL in those without OAB, and that some factors associated with OAB in this group would be the same as those identified in the general population.