Psychosocial Difficulties in Pediatric Patients with Voiding Dysfunctions and Nocturnal Enuresis: Age and Sex-Related Differences

Purpose To identify whether male and female patients presenting to a Pediatric Urology Voiding Dysfunction Clinic differ in terms of psychosocial difficulties. Methods A retrospective chart review was conducted to collect data from patients presenting to a pediatric urology clinic for voiding dysfunction or nocturnal enuresis between December 2016 and June 2017. During their visit, patients and their parents/guardians completed the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC) and Dysfunctional Voiding Questionnaire (DVSS). Older children and teens also completed self-reports for the PSC. Results The sample consisted of 159 subjects (100 females, 59 males) between the ages of 5 and 16 years old (M = 9.86 + 3.15). Results revealed that children with more severe voiding symptoms exhibited more parent-reported attention (p=.019) and externalizing (p In a sex-based comparison, females self-reported significantly more psychosocial difficulties than males (17.81+1.9 vs 11.23+1.99; p=.03), while parents of males reported their children exhibited significantly more attention problems than females (4.14+.43 vs 2.94+2.67; p=.022). Age- and sex-based comparisons revealed that for males, age was unrelated to any psychosocial difficulties. However, for females, older age was associated with more parent-reported psychosocial difficulties (p=.013) and internalizing problems (p Conclusion Patients presenting to Pediatric Urology Voiding Dysfunction Clinics are at increased risk for psychosocial difficulties.Our data supports this finding, with more severe voiding symptoms being related to multiple aspects of poorer psychosocial functioning. Additionally, females are at increased risk for psychosocial difficulties, especially as they approach adolescence, while males are at increased risk for attention problems.