Rate and risk factors of nocturnal enuresis in school going children

Purpose: The purpose is to find out the rate of nocturnal enuresis in school going children (5-12 years) and the risk factors associated with it.

Materials and methods: The parents of children aged between 5 and 12 years studying in two primary schools in Ahmedabad completed a self-administered semi-structured questionnaire comprising of enuresis, sociodemographic profiles, and risk factors. Children with enuresis and those without were compared on demographic characteristics and risk factors using Chi-square and t-test for categorical and quantitative data respectively. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 17.

Results: The response rate was 86.54% as 1904 responses were collected out of 2200. The overall rate of nocturnal enuresis was 6.7% (according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5^th Edition definition of nocturnal enuresis). As the age increased, the rate of nocturnal enuresis declined. A positive family history was seen in 36.6% of children with enuresis. Enuresis was found to be more frequently in lower socioeconomic class. It was a neglected problem, only 20.6% of children received some kind of treatment.

Conclusion: The rate of nocturnal enuresis was 6.7% in school going children. Strong correlation was found with family history. Although the rate was high, most of the children with enuresis were not treated.