NAFC conducts online survey to examine women’s perceptions about overactive bladder

The National Association For Continence (NAFC) is conducting an anonymous online survey to understand the perceptions women, age 40-65, have about overactive bladder (OAB) and what they are prepared to do about its symptoms. Using constructs from the Health Belief Model, this survey aims to explain the fears and preparedness women have towards general health and OAB. This research is conducted by Kelton Global Research, a market research company and supported by a grant from Merck Pharmaceuticals.

Overactive bladder and urinary incontinence occur about twice as frequently in women as in men. Many people who suffer from these conditions fail to consult a physician or fail to adhere to prescribed treatment options. By utilizing the Health Belief Model, a psychological model that attempts to explain and predict health behaviors, NAFC hopes to learn about perceptions and concerns that arise as women age and where bladder health ranks in their list of worries, about fears of the seriousness of OAB and related bladder problems and about the willingness women have to take action to resolve a variety of health issues through lifestyle changes and other actions.

"Overactive bladder affects the precious realms of a person's quality of life: their relationships with others, their social freedoms and their personal dignity," said Nancy Muller, PhD, executive director of NAFC. "This health issue can cause embarrassment, loss of self-esteem, sleep deprivation and depression or anxiety. The survey results will help us understand how women classify symptoms of overactive bladder—even its mildest of symptoms—and where it ranks in their health concerns." NAFC's goal for this survey is to provide a "call to action" for the public for increased OAB awareness. This survey is meant to engage mainstream media and build a platform for future discussion and media coverage about more accessible and practical treatment options in fulfilling NAFC's mission.

This isn't the first research NAFC has conducted to learn more about the affects of OAB on a woman's quality of life. NAFC recently published its research about the frustration women experience with overactive bladder in the inaugural issue of Annals of Urology in 2010. Based on this research, NAFC encouraged practitioners to be more interactive and instructional with patients by offering a combination therapy approach to manage symptoms. In fact, this newest research represents the sixth nationwide survey of consumers conducted by NAFC on bladder and bowel control problems since 2000.