The role of obesity in the etiology of monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis

Objective: In adults, many studies showing the relationship between obesity and urinary incontinence are available. In children relationship between the most common urinary incontinence problem ie. nocturnal enuresis and obesity is not clear. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between primary monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis and obesity. Methods: Between October 2012 and December 2012, 150 children aged 5-15 years with primary monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis brought to urology clinic by parents and equal number of healthy controls within the same age group were included in the study. Both groups were compared in terms of age, gender, school achievement, socioeconomic status, family history, sleep depth, and body mass index (BMI). Also in the nocturnal enuresis group, whether obesity has an impact on above factors and the number of monthly urinary incontinence are investigated. Results: Results in terms of male sex, sleep depth, presence of a family history of nocturnal enuresis group were more significant when compared with the control group (p=0.03, p=0.00, and p=0.00, respectively). There were no significant differences between groups in terms of school success, socioeconomic status, and BMI (p=0.3, p=0.8, and p=0.4, respectively). Distrubition of parametres identified as a risk factor according to body mass index were made and there was no difference between them. Distributions of frequency of urinary incontinence in enuretic patients according to body mass indices were made and a significant difference was not observed. There was no effect of obesity on monthly frequency of urinary incontinence. Conclusion: In our study any correlation between monosymptomatic enuresis nocturna, and obesity was not observed. Studies indicating that obesity is associated with nocturnal enuresis could not clearly reveal the presence of a cause and effect relationship. This relationship set forth in many studies may be due to daytime symptoms. Therefore, further study is needed in this regard.