Influence of pain and urinary symptoms on quality of life in young men with chronic prostatitis-like symptoms

BACKGROUND: Our aims in the present study were to estimate the influences of pain and urinary symptoms on quality of life, and to determine which of these two variables has the most predictive power with respect to quality of life in young men with chronic prostatitis-like symptoms. METHODS: Chronic prostatitis-like symptoms were measured by the National Institutes of Health-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index. Of the 28,841 men aged 20 years who lived in the study community, 18,495 men (a response rate 64.1%) agreed to participate in the study. A total of 1057 men who complained of symptoms indicative of chronic prostatitis were included in the study. The influences of pain and urinary symptoms on quality of life were determined using logistic regression analysis. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to estimate the predictive ability of each of these variables with respect to quality of life. RESULTS: Results from multivariate analysis showed that both pain and urinary symptoms were associated with an increased likelihood of impaired quality of life, although pain contributed more to a reduced quality of life than urinary symptoms. Relative to men who experienced mild pain, men who experienced moderate pain had a 3.9-fold risk of poor quality of life (odds ratio [OR], 3.87; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.86-5.23; P < 0.001) and those who experienced severe pain had a 15.7-fold risk of reduced quality of life (OR, 15.68; 95% CI, 6.59-37.35; P < 0.001). Moderate urinary symptoms were associated with a 1.4-fold risk of bother (OR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.01-1.99; P < 0.001) and severe urinary symptoms were associated with 2.4-fold risk (OR, 2.39; 95% CI, 1.37-4.12; P < 0.001), relative to mild urinary symptoms. Comparison of the effects of pain and urinary symptoms showed that pain severity had the most predictive power for bother, quality of life, and quality-of-life impact. The areas under the ROC curves for bother, quality of life, and quality-of-life impact were 71.3%, 69.3% and 72.5%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Urinary symptoms and pain might be associated with an increased likelihood of impaired quality of life in young men with chronic prostatitis-like symptoms. In addition, our findings suggest that pain severity is the most influential variable for determining quality of life in this population.     

Health Behavior Correlates of Depression in a Sample of High School Students

Frequency of symptoms of depression and selected health-related practices and events were measured in a sample of 219 high school students. Students reported numerous symptoms of depression. Relative proportions of boys and girls reporting symptoms of depression were not significantly different. However, girls reported experiencing more severe depression than their male counterparts. Depression correlated significantly with several of the 22 health practices and states of affect examined. Both the determinants and manifestations of depression in adolescent cohorts require in-depth investigation. Possible implications for school health personnel are discussed.     

Trial of a new method of natural family planning in Liberia

This paper describes the evaluation of a new method of natural family planning (NFP) in Liberia. The Modified Mucus Method (MMM) was developed to address the need for a simple method of charting for poor and illiterate women. The acceptance, use, and cost-effectiveness of the MMM were compared with standard NFP methods, the sympto-thermal and ovulation method (ST/OM), used in the same population.The personal discontinuation rate of MMM users was 27.3 per 100 women per year compared with 3.2 among ST/OM users. Unplanned pregnancy rates were low for both MMM and ST/OM, 6.6 and 1.5 respectively. The cost per couple year protection (CYP) for MMM was $55.80 and for ST/OM $56.10. There were differences in characteristics between MMM and ST/OM clients. The MMM clients were more likely to have attended school and to have used a family planning method previously, and were less likely to be housewives.We conclude that the MMM in Liberia was provided to an inappropriate sample of women, educated and middle-class rather than poor and illiterate. The MMM users were dissatisfied and discontinued at the rate of 44 per 100 women entering per year. This is an unfair evaluation of the MMM because of the unsuitable study population. It is our opinion that the MMM needs more study to become part of the inventory of birth spacing methods.

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Resumen Este trabajo describe la evaluación de un nuevo método de planificación familiar natural (PFN) in Liberia. El Método del Moco Modificado (MMM) se desarrolló a fin de atender a la necesidad de un método sencillo de registro para mujeres pobres y analfabetas. La aceptación, el uso y la eficacia en función de los costos del MMM se comparó con los métodos estándares de PFN, el Método Sintotérmico y de Ovulación (ST/OM), utilizado en la misma población.La tasa de abandono personal de las usuarias del MMM fue 27,3 por cada 100 mujeres por año en comparación con 3,2 entre las usuarios del ST/OM. El costo por protección-año de la pareja en le caso del MMM fue $55,80 y el del ST/OM $56,10. Hubo características diferentes entre las usuarias del MMM y del ST/OM. Había más probabilidades de que las usuarias del MMM hubieran asistido a la escuela y utilizado métodos de planificación familiar anteriormente, y menos probabilidades de que fueran amas de casa. Llegamos a la conclusión de que el MMM en Liberia era proporcionado a una muestra inadecuada de mujeres, más bien educadas y de clase media que pobres y analfabetas. Las usuarias del MMM estaban insatisfechas y lo abandonaron a razón de 44 por cada 100 mujeres que lo adoptaban por año. Esta es una evaluación injusta del MMM debido a lo inadecuado de la población del estudio. Opinamos que el MMM requiere mayores estudios para poder llegar a integrar el inventario de métodos de espaciamiento de nacimientos.

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Resumé Le présent exposé décrit l'évaluation d'une nouvelle méthode de planning familial naturel au Libéria. La méthode de modification des glaires (MMM) a été mise au point pour satisfaire au besoin de disposer d'une méthode simple pouvant être appliquées par les femmes pauvres et analphabètes. L'acceptation, l'utilisation et l'efficacité de cette méthode par rapport à son coût ont été comparées à celles d'autres méthodes de planning familial naturel, à la méthode sympto-thermique et de l'ovulation (ST/O), appliquées dans cette même population.Le taux d'abandon de la MMM pour des raisons personnelles s'est élevé à 27,3 par an, alors qu'il était de 3,2 chez les femmes utilisant la méthode ST/O. Le nombre des grossesses non planifiées était faible pour l'une et l'autre des méthodes, soit 6,6 pour la MMM et 1,5 pour la méthode ST/O. Le coût annuel de la protection par couple se situait à $55,80 pour la première méthode et à $56,10 pour la seconde. Les femmes présentaient des caractéristiques différentes d'un groupe à l'autre. Celles qui utilisaient la MMM étaient plus souvent susceptibles d'avoir été scolarisées et d'avoir auparavant utilisé une méthode de planning familial, et moins susceptibles d'être des ménagères.Nous en avons conclu que la MMM avait été mise à la disposition d'un groupe de femmes éduquées, de classe moyenne, à qui elle ne convenait pas, plutôt qu'à des femmes pauvres et analphabètes. Les utilisatrices n'en étant pas satisfaites, elles avaient abandonné la méthode à un pourcentage de 44 pour cent femmes l'essayant chaque année. Cette évaluation de la MMM n'est pas valable car cette méthode n'était pas adaptée à la population étudiée. Nous estimons qu'il est nécessaire d'étudier plus en profondeur la MMM si l'on veut qu'elle fasse partie de l'ensemble des méthodes visant à espacer les naissances.