Socio-demographic and psychopathologic correlates of enuresis in urban Ethiopian children

Abstract

Aim: To examine the association between enuresis and psychopathology in urban Ethiopian children.

Methods: A two-stage mental health survey of 5000 urban children found enuresis to be by far the most common disorder. Logistic regression modelling was carried out to determine the independent associations of a number of socio-demographic and psychopathological characteristics with enuresis.

Results: Male sex, younger age and lower achieved educational grade of the child were all independently associated with childhood enuresis. The odds of having enuresis were significantly higher for children in families with significant financial worries and in children from homes where parents were separated. Children with DSMIII-R anxiety disorders, especially simple phobia, or disruptive behaviour disorders were found to have significantly higher odds of having enuresis.

Conclusion: Psychopathology, both anxiety and behavioural disorders, as well as family stressors in urban Ethiopian children were found to be risk factors for enuresis. Although a cause-effect relationship could not be ascertained, the findings of higher association of psychopathology with enuresis in this and other studies indicate that there is a need for evaluating children with enuresis for the presence of concurrent psychopathology, especially in traditional societies where undetected psychopathology may be more common.