An evaluation of quality of life of mothers of children with enuresis nocturna

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of enuresis nocturna on quality of life of the mothers. Mothers who have a child with monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (n=28) and mothers who have a child without any health problems (n=38) were enrolled in the study. Groups were in balance for background variables (child's age, gender, and number of siblings; mother's age, marital status, highest year of education completed, and occupation; presence of health insurance; and type of residence). Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) Questionnaire, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Spielberg's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were applied to all mothers. The mothers of children with enuresis had significantly lower quality-of-life scores in the SF-36 for the bodily pain (p=0.015) and role emotional (p=0.014) subscales. We observed significant difference between groups according to BDI; mean score was higher in mothers who have a child with enuresis nocturna (p=0.017). There was no significant difference between groups according to the STAI. Significant differences according to bodily pain and role emotional subscales of SF-36, and the BDI scores, show that the mothers were negatively affected by having a child with monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis.