It's About Time: The Temporal Burden of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Among Women

Urol Nurs. 2020 Nov-Dec;40(6):10.7257/1053-816x.2020.40.6.277. doi: 10.7257/1053-816x.2020.40.6.277.

Abstract

This secondary analysis studied 50 transcripts of women who shared day-to-day experiences of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and characterized temporal (time-associated) features of living with LUTS. Findings revealed two overarching time-associated themes: The Complexity of LUTS and The Quest for Empowerment over LUTS. Findings suggest that the temporal burden of LUTS is the accumulated impact of symptoms and symptom management on women's daily lives within multiple contexts across the life course. Increasing nurses' knowledge of the temporal context of LUTS may heighten awareness and improve symptom detection and management.

Keywords: Women’s health; bladder; chronic illness; lower urinary tract symptoms; prevention; qualitative research.