Menopausal stages and overactive bladder symptoms in middle‐aged women: A cross‐sectional study

Objective To examine the prevalence of overactive bladder (OAB) according to menopausal stages in middle‐aged women. Design Cross‐sectional study. Setting Total Healthcare Center in South Korea. Population Middle‐aged Korean women (n=3469, mean age, 49.5 ± 2.9 years). Methods Menopausal stages were defined according to the Stages of Reproductive Aging Workshop +10 criteria, and menopausal symptoms were assessed using the Korean version of Menopause‐Specific Quality of Life (MENQOL). Logistic regression models were used to estimate prevalence ratios with 95% confidence intervals for OAB according to menopausal stage and to assess the associations with menopausal symptoms. Main Outcome Measures OAB symptoms were evaluated using the Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS). Results The prevalence of OAB increased with menopausal stage; however, the multivariable‐adjusted prevalence ratios for women in menopausal transition and postmenopausal stage were insignificant (ptrend = 0.160) compared to those for premenopausal women. Among individual OAB symptoms, the multivariable‐adjusted prevalence ratios for nocturia increased with menopausal stage in a dose–response manner (ptrend = 0.005 for 1 time/day; ptrend