18 September 2006
Asian Men Suffering From More Urinary Problems
by George Atkinson

Men from southern Asia have more urinary problems than other nationalities, but they are only half as likely to seek help, say researchers in the journal BJU International. The researchers aren't sure why men from South Asia are reticent to seek help, but speculate that it could be due to cultural factors.

The study was based on a survey sent to just under 8,000 men in southern England which asked them about urinary symptoms, problems and their use of local health services. The results showed that 37 percent of the South Asian men who replied described at least one significant urinary problem, compared with 29 percent of the Caucasian men in the study. Interestingly, only a quarter of the South Asian men who suffered a problem had actually sought help; compared with more than half of the affected Caucasian men.

The most pronounced problems involved storing urine in the bladder. South Asian men were two to three times more likely to suffer from issues like urinating frequently, needing to go urgently, suffering from incontinence and having to get up to urinate at night. "Lower urinary tract symptoms are common in middle-aged men and tend to increase with age," explained researcher Joby Taylor. "Population studies have shown that a quarter of men over 40 have moderate or severe symptoms and this rises to half at the age of 65."

The researchers say that work needs to be done to break down the barriers that prevent afflicted men from seeking help. "Cultural issues are an important factor in seeking help for medical problems and may influence the behavior of South Asian men affected by urinary problems," they wrote in conclusion. "Care strategies involving Asian link workers and enhanced community services might be needed to address the ongoing and unmet needs [of these men]."

Based on material from the British Journal of Urology International