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. 2024 Feb 2;16(3):446.
doi: 10.3390/nu16030446.

Incidence of Urinary Infections and Behavioral Risk Factors

Magdalena Mititelu  1 , Gabriel Olteanu  1 , Sorinel Marius Neacșu  2 , Iuliana Stoicescu  3 , Denisa-Elena Dumitrescu  4 , Emma Gheorghe  5 , Monica Tarcea  6 , Ștefan Sebastian Busnatu  7 , Corina-Bianca Ioniță-Mîndrican  8 , Ovidiu Tafuni  9 , Ionela Belu  10 , Antoanela Popescu  11 , Sergiu Lupu  12 , Carmen Elena Lupu  13
Affiliations

Incidence of Urinary Infections and Behavioral Risk Factors

Magdalena Mititelu et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

This evaluation of the impact of behavioral risk factors on the incidence of urinary infections was based on a questionnaire in which 1103 respondents, predominantly women (883), participated. From the statistical processing of the data, it was observed that 598 of the respondents were of normal weight; the rest, more than half, were underweight or overweight (χ2 = 32.46, p < 0.001), with male respondents being predominantly overweight or obese (169 out of a total of 220). Most of the respondents were young (χ2 = 15.45, p < 0.001), under the age of 45 (840). According to the processed data, it was found that respondents in the age group of 26-35 years showed the greatest vulnerability to recurrent urinary infections, while the age group of 18-25 years recorded the highest number of responses related to the rare presence or even absence of episodes of urinary infections. A body weight-related vulnerability was also noted among the respondents; the majority of obese people declared that they face frequent episodes of urinary infections. Regarding diet quality, 210 respondents reported an adherence to an unhealthy diet, 620 to a moderately healthy diet, and 273 to a healthy diet. Of the respondents who adhered to a healthy diet, 223 were women (χ2 = 2.55, p = 0.279). There was a close connection between diet quality and the frequency of urinary infections: from the statistical processing of the data, it was observed that the highest percentage of respondents who rarely (57.14%) or never got urinary infections (29.30%) were among those who adhered to a healthy diet, and the highest percentage of those who declared that they often got urinary infections were among those with increased adherence to an unhealthy diet (χ2 = 13.46, p = 0.036). The results of this study highlight a strong impact of obesity, reduced consumption of fruit and vegetables, and sedentary lifestyle on the risk of recurring urinary infections.

Keywords: functional foods; healthy diet; public health; recurrence of urinary infections.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The influence of food on the intestinal microbiome. Created with BioRender.com (accessed on 25 October 2023).
Figure 2
Figure 2
The role of water in the body. Created with BioRender.com (accessed on 25 October 2023).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Last urinary infection episode by age group (χ2 = 64.91, p < 0.001).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Frequency and main causes of urinary infections. F1 (frequency of urinary infections) and F2, represented by the following: Q13.1, sexual contact; Q13.2, constipation; Q13.3, exposure to cold; Q13.4, exposure to contaminated public spaces; Q13.5, exposure to contaminated spaces in healthcare settings (hospitals, clinics, doctors’ offices); Q13.6, improper hygiene; Q13.7, kidney stones; Q13.8, surgery; Q13.9, other causes.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Frequency of urinary infections by (a) sex, (b) age.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Frequency of urinary infections by BMI group.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Therapeutic approach to urinary infections (χ2 = 20.31, p = 0.048).
Figure 8
Figure 8
Type of treatment by frequency of urinary infections.
Figure 9
Figure 9
The use of medical tests (antibiograms) to identify the cause of urinary infection by frequency of urinary infections.
Figure 10
Figure 10
Symptoms of urinary infection episodes.
Figure 11
Figure 11
Types of natural treatments used for urinary infections.
Figure 12
Figure 12
Sport activity and frequency of urinary infections (χ2 = 27.25, p = 0.005).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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