Background Lower urinary tract symptoms are frequently observed in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS), but their correlation with health-related quality of life (QoL) remains not well-defined. Study aim The aim was to establish the correlation between lower urinary tract symptoms and QoL among patients with MS. Design A descriptive correlational design. Setting The study was conducted at Kasr El-Ainy Multiple Sclerosis Research Unit. Patients Consisted of 171 adult male and female who fulfilled the inclusion criteria of the study. Tools Three tools were used: 1. Demographic and Medical Data Form (DMDF), 2. Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Scale, 3. Qualiveen-30 items questionnaire. Results Revealed that the most common lower urinary tract symptoms among MS patients were incontinence, urge, stress incontinence, unaware incontinence and nocturia as 100, 99.4, 98.8, 93, and 98.2% consequently. There was high statistically significant correlation between lower urinary tract symptoms and QoL ( P <0.001), as means of lower tract symptoms for each level of QoL were 42.67 for poor QoL and 31.97 for average QoL but only 21 for good QoL. Conclusions The lower urinary tract symptoms are significantly associated with a lowered QoL among patients suffering from MS. Recommendation Replication of the study with a larger sample size and selected from different geographical areas in Egypt. Apply educational program for nurses about the pathophysiology of lower urinary tract symptoms in MS, including symptoms, their psychological and social consequences and empathetic care, emotional support, and interdisciplinary collaboration to ensure comprehensive management.
Hamed et al. (Thu,) studied this question.