Overactive bladder prevalence trends in the United States, 2009–2018: NHANES analysis

Abstract

To evaluate the long-term trends in the prevalence of overactive bladder (OAB) among U.S. adults and quantify associated sociodemographic disparities, we analyzed data from 24,569 non-pregnant adults aged ≥ 20 years, derived from five consecutive National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cycles spanning 2009-2010 to 2017-2018. Stratification was performed by age, sex, race/ethnicity, educational attainment, and family poverty-income ratio (PIR). Results showed that between 2009 and 2018, the OAB prevalence in the study population exhibited a significantly increasing trend after an initial plateau phase, rising from 15.55% (2009-2010) to 17.57% (2017-2018), with an absolute increase of 2.02%. Notable disparities were observed across subgroups, yet the upward prevalence trend persisted in certain ones. Adults aged ≥ 64 years, females, non-Hispanic Black individuals, and those with less than a high-school education consistently demonstrated the highest prevalence. High-income families (PIR ≥ 3.50) reported a higher OAB prevalence compared to low-income counterparts, which is hypothesized to relate to a greater diagnosis detection rate rather than an elevated disease risk. These findings underscore an urgent need for targeted public health initiatives. Such initiatives should address population aging and inequities in access to OAB diagnosis and care, thereby improving health equity in this clinical domain.

Keywords: National health and nutrition examination survey, overactive bladder (OAB), prevalence