Previous research hinted at a connection between bedwetting and psychological
problems, particularly attention-deficit disorders, say the researchers. But
their study is the first to examine how socioeconomic status might be related
to bedwetting.
“
What seemed to be a marked association between bedwetting and psychological
problems is merely the presence of two separate problems mediated by a common
underlying factor,” say Eline Van Hoecke, M.Sc., of Ghent University
Hospital in Belgium and colleagues.
Van Hoecke and colleagues compared
154 children age 6 to 12 with bedwetting problems to a second group of
similar age non-bedwetters. Their parents were
asked to fill out a questionnaire about their child’s emotional, social
and behavioral problems, including hyperactivity, attention problems and
aggressive behavior.
Children in the bedwetting group had significantly more behavioral problems
than the comparison group, but much of the association between behavior and
bedwetting was related to a third factor: socioeconomic status. The researchers
calculated that almost 39 percent of the bedwetting group fell into a low socioeconomic
status category, while only 23 percent of the non-bedwetters were in the low
socioeconomic group.
Van Hoecke and colleagues stress that future research should examine whether
other factors, such as distressing life events like divorce or the birth of
a sibling, might also contribute to both bedwetting and behavior problems.
The study was published in the April issue of the Journal
of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics and supported by the Fund for Scientific Research,
Flanders.
