Assessment of Quality of Life of Men with Luts Due to Prostate Disorders Using the Bother Score

Aims: The aim of the study was to assess the quality of life of patients with lower urinary tract symptoms [LUTS] due to prostatic diseases using the bother question of the IPSS. And also, to determine factors that may be associated with poor quality of life among the patients.

Study Design: This is a prospective, cross-sectional study.

Place and Duration: The urology unit of Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti. Ekiti State, Nigeria. The study period was from 1st January 2018 to 31st December 2019.

Methodology: The International prostate symptom score [IPSS] was used to assess the severity of LUTS. While the bother question of IPSS was used to assess the QOL of the patients. HADS was used to assess for psychiatric morbidity among the patients. The data was analysed using SPSS version 20.

Results: A total of 224 patients with LUTS due to either BPH or cancer of the prostate [CAP] were recruited for the study. Most of the respondents [81.7%] were classified as having poor quality of life. High IPSS scores [P < .05, CI=-11.62 ̶ -6.20], depression [P<.05, CI=-4.35 ̶ -1.18] and high scores on all the individual LUTS were found to be significantly associated with poor QOL. Respondents who consumed alcohol had significantly higher bother scores. [T –test =-2.842, P= .005, CI=-0.807 ̶ -0.146]. Cancer of the prostate patients also had significantly higher bother scores compared with those with BPH. [T –test =2.997, P= .003, CI =0.172 ̶ 0.832]. Among all the LUTS, urgency had the highest correlation coefficient. [Corr coeff = 0.304, P< .05].

Conclusion: This study suggests that the prevalence of poor QOL is high among urology clinic patients with LUTS due to prostatic diseases. Common factors associated with poor QOL were severe LUTS, depression, high PSA scores, those with CAP and consumption of alcohol.