Urination Frequency Ranges in Healthy Women

Jean F Wyman, Charles H Cain, C. Neill Epperson, Colleen M. Fitzgerald, Sheila Gahagan, Diane K. Newman, Kyle Rudser, Ariana L. Smith, Camille P. Vaughan, Siobhan Sutcliffe

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: Limited information on the normal range of urination frequencies in women is available to guide bladder health promotion efforts. Objectives: This study used data from the Boston Area Community Health (BACH) Survey to (a) estimate normative reference ranges in daytime and nighttime urination frequencies in healthy women based on two operational definitions of “healthy” and (b) compare urination frequencies by age, race/ethnicity, and fluid intake. Methods: A secondary analysis of cross-sectional interview data collected from female participants was performed using less restrictive (“healthy”) and strict (“elite healthy”) inclusion criteria. All analyses were weighted to account for the BACH sampling design. Normative reference values corresponding to the middle 95% of the distribution of daytime and nighttime urination frequencies were calculated overall and stratified by age, race/ethnicity, and fluid intake. Generalized linear regression with a log-link was used to estimate rate ratios of daytime and nighttime urination frequencies by age, race/ethnicity, and fluid intake. Results: Of the 2,534 women who completed the BACH follow-up interviews, 1,505 women met healthy eligibility criteria, and 300 met elite healthy criteria. Overall, reference ranges for urination frequencies were 2–10 times/day and 0–4 times/night in healthy women and 2–9 times/day and 0–2 times/night in elite healthy women. Women ages 45–64 years, but not 65+ years, reported a greater number of daytime urination than those aged 31–44 years, whereas women 65+ years reported a greater number of nighttime urination. Black women reported fewer daytime urination and more nighttime urinations than White women. Women who consumed less than 49 oz daily reported fewer daytime and nighttime urinations than those who drank 50–74 oz; drinking 75+ oz had only a small effect on urination frequencies. Discussion: Normative reference values for daytime and nighttime urination frequencies were similar in women using strict and relaxed definitions of health. These results indicate a wide range of “normal” urination frequencies, with some differences by age, race/ethnicity, and fluid intake. Future research is needed to examine urination frequencies in minority women and whether fluid intake amount and type influence the development of lower urinary tract symptoms.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)341-352
Number of pages12
JournalNursing research
Volume71
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 1 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) by cooperative agreements (Grants U24DK106786, U01 DK106853, U01 DK106858, U01 DK106898, U01 DK106893, U01 DK106827, U01 DK106908, U01 DK106892, U01 DK126045). Additional funding was received from the National Institute on Aging, NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health. The Boston Area Community Health (BACH) study was conducted by the BACH Investigators and supported by the NIDDK. The NIDDK Central Repository supplied the data from the BACH I and BACH II studies reported here. This article was not prepared in collaboration with the investigators of the BACH study and does not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of the study, the NIDDK Central Repository, or the NIDDK. The content of this article is solely the authors’ responsibility and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

Keywords

  • bladder health
  • female
  • healthy volunteers
  • urination

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Urination Frequency Ranges in Healthy Women'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this