Nocturnal Enuresis among School-age Children in South-eastern Nigeria: A Concealed Social Malaise

Abstract

Background: We describe the pattern of nocturnal enuresis among school-age children in Southeastern Nigerian. Methods: A total sample size of 245 pupils was selected for the purpose of this study with age between 6 and 12 years. The Stratified method of sampling was employed to get a sample that represents the population. Selection of the two schools was done based on the cooperation and readiness of the management and parent/guardian to participate in the research. Results: Two hundred and forty five children were enrolled for the study with 151 male (61.6%) while the female children are 94 (38.4%).The prevalence of enuresis was noted to be 22.8%.The prevalence is higher in males (60%) than 39% in females (P value <0.05) with higher incidence in lower socioeconomic background and in children with positive family history of bedwetting in the first degree relative though not significant. Conclusions: The prevalence of nocturnal enuresis in our setting is 22.8%, which is higher than that obtained in various studies elsewhere in the world with a male preponderance. There were strong association between the prevalence of nocturnal enuresis and socioeconomic background.