Prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms among men in a rural district of Western Turkey

Objectives: The aim was to determine the prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in men aged 40 years or older, as well as to compare characteristics of patients with and without LUTS. Methodology: The paper is a cross-sectional survey conducted on men with LUTS in a district of western Turkey between November 1 and December 31. The questionnaire was filled in by a face to face method, and consisted of the men's socio-demographic characteristics, LUTS related characteristics, and the questions pertaining to international prostate symptom score (IPSS). Results: The prevalence of LUTS was 51.5%. The comparative analyses between patients who had and those who did not have LUTS showed that patients in settlement area Kaymaz, those aged 70 and over, those with primary school education and below, those who were married, those who had recurrent UTI, those who were using medicines continuously, those with a history of previous surgery, those with family history of LUTS had a higher prevalence of LUTS. Conclusion: In conclusion the number of the respondents having LUTS was common among men in this region of Turkey. (author)