Health Disparities and Overactive Bladder: Bridging the Gap.

IF 0.4 Q4 UROLOGY & NEPHROLOGY

Current Bladder Dysfunction Reports Pub Date : 2026-01-01 Epub Date: 2026-04-28 DOI:10.1007/s11884-026-00811-2

Susanna Gunamany, Angeleque Hartt, Rachel Kopkin, Ibukunowola Omole, Ekene A Enemchukwu

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Abstract

Purpose of the review: Overactive bladder (OAB) affects ~ 33 million Americans. Most studies enroll predominantly educated, non-Hispanic White women, limiting understanding of how social determinants, race/ethnicity, and structural inequities influence OAB burden and treatment. Evidence suggests disparities in prevalence, diagnosis, and guideline-based therapy reflect social and structural factors rather than biology.

Recent findings: Literature from 2010 to 2025 notes higher OAB burden among Black, Hispanic, and lower-income women. Structural barriers (e.g., limited specialist access, high costs, restrictive insurance, and competing needs) reduce care-seeking and therapy adherence. Social and cultural factors, including stigma, mistrust, low health literacy, and language barriers, further limit engagement. Minority and low-income patients utilize pharmacologic and minimally invasive therapies less frequently despite greater symptom severity. Frailty affects treatment selection but does not appear to impact benefit. Strategies to address disparities include inclusive research, culturally tailored education, digital and community-based care, and patient navigators.

Summary: OAB disparities reflect intersecting structural, socioeconomic, and cultural factors. Equity requires inclusive research, responsive education, expanded access, and policy reform to address structural determinants.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11884-026-00811-2.

查看原文本刊更多论文

健康差距和膀胱过度活动：弥合差距。

综述目的：膀胱过动症（OAB）影响约3300万美国人。大多数研究主要招收受过教育的非西班牙裔白人妇女，限制了对社会决定因素、种族/民族和结构不平等如何影响OAB负担和治疗的理解。有证据表明，患病率、诊断和基于指南的治疗方面的差异反映了社会和结构因素，而不是生物学因素。最新发现：2010年至2025年的文献表明，黑人、西班牙裔和低收入女性的OAB负担较高。结构性障碍（例如，有限的专科医生、高昂的费用、限制性保险和竞争性需求）减少了求医和治疗依从性。社会和文化因素，包括耻辱、不信任、低卫生素养和语言障碍，进一步限制了参与。少数民族和低收入患者使用药物和微创治疗的频率较低，尽管症状严重。虚弱会影响治疗选择，但似乎不会影响疗效。解决差异的战略包括包容性研究、针对不同文化的教育、数字化和基于社区的护理以及患者导航。总结：OAB差异反映了交叉的结构、社会经济和文化因素。公平需要包容性研究、响应性教育、扩大准入和政策改革，以解决结构性决定因素。补充信息：在线版本包含补充资料，下载地址：10.1007/s11884-026-00811-2。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Current Bladder Dysfunction Reports UROLOGY & NEPHROLOGY-

CiteScore

0.50

自引率

0.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： The aim of this journal is to help readers understand expert views on current advances in the field of bladder dysfunction by systematically providing review articles that highlight the most important papers recently published. We accomplish this aim by appointing major authorities in key subject areas across the discipline to select topics reviewed by leading experts who emphasize recent developments, novel research, and highlight important papers published over the past year on their topics. We also highlight areas that have not received attention in the past and are important to an international audience, such a voiding dysfunction in reconstructed bladders and voiding dysfunction associated with genitourinary infections. An Editorial Board of internationally diverse members also suggests topics of special interest to their country/region and ensures that topics are current and include emerging research.