Prevalence of nocturnal enuresis and associated factors in schoolchildren in Western Turkey.

INTRODUCTION

The prevalence of nocturnal enuresis (NE) in pediatric populations varies between 1% to 20%. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of NE in schoolchildren living in Tekirdag, a city in Western Turkey.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We distributed a questionnaire to 11324 schoolchildren aged 7 to 14 years who were living in Tekirdag. The questionnaires were filled in by the children's parents. The main study endpoints were the prevalence of NE, and its association with sociodemographic factors of the children and their parents.

RESULTS

The results from 9210 children (81.4%) who returned fully completed questionnaires were included in the study. The prevalence of NE was 7.5%. Another 579 children (6.2%) had NE that had resolved at the time of study. Prevalence rates decreased with increasing age, reaching 1.4% by age 14 years. NE was more prevalent among boys than girls, but the rates became similar by age 12 years. There was a strong relationship between NE and family history of childhood NE. More than half of the parents who had a child with NE were using traditional techniques for treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of NE in schoolchildren in Tekirdag, a city in Western Turkey was 7.5%. Having a family history of childhood NE was the one of main risk factors for NE.