Incidence of Urinary Infections and Behavioral Risk Factors

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.