Original article
Health behavior and urinary tract infection in college-aged women

https://doi.org/10.1016/0895-4356(90)90119-AGet rights and content

Abstract

We conducted a case-control study to examine the associations between various behavioral risk factors and urinary tract infection among college-aged women. Cases were collected from a University Health Service, and were compared to Health Service controls and to a population-based control group. Sexual intercourse, diaphragm use, and urinating after sexual intercourse were each associated with urinary tract infection (UTI). The magnitude of the association of diaphragm use with UTI was reduced when urination habits around sexual intercourse were considered.

References (21)

  • M. Vessey et al.

    A long-term follow-up study of women using different methods of contraception—an interim report

    J Biosoc Sci

    (1976)
  • L.E. Nicolle et al.

    The association of urinary tract infection with sexual intercourse

    J Infect Dis

    (1982)
  • S.D. Fihm et al.

    Association between diaphragm use and urinary tract infection

    JAMA

    (1985)
  • B. Foxman et al.

    Epidemiology of urinary tract infection: 1. Diaphragm use and sexual intercourse

    Am J Public Health

    (1985)
  • R.R. Remis et al.

    Risk factors for urinary tract infection

    Am J Epidemiol

    (1987)
  • B.L. Strom et al.

    Sexual activity, contraceptive use, and other risk factors for symptomatic and asymptomatic bacteriuria

    Ann Intern Med

    (1987)
  • K. Adatto et al.

    Behavioral factors and urinary tract infection

    JAMA

    (1979)
  • B. Foxman et al.

    Epidemiology of urinary tract infection: 11. Diet, clothing and urination habits

    Am J Public Health

    (1985)
  • J.D. Sobel

    Pathogenesis of urinary tract infections. Host defenses

    Infect Dis Clin N Am

    (1987)
  • T.A. Stamey et al.

    Recurrent urinary infections in adult women: the role of introital bacteria

    Calif Med

    (1971)
There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (68)

  • Medical Treatment for Urinary Tract Infections

    2022, Urologic Clinics of North America
    Citation Excerpt :

    It is believed that vitamin C can have bacteriostatic effects via the reduction of urinary nitrates to reactive nitrogen oxides. A weak association has been found between dietary vitamin C and a decreased risk of UTI in healthy young women and pregnant women (odds ratio (OR): 0.59, 95% CI: 0.35–0.98 - no prior UTI; OR: 0.85,95% CI: 0.58–1.25 - >/ = 1 prior UTI).47,48 Vitamin C has not been found to decrease the incidence of UTI in patients with spinal cord injury (see Table 7).49

  • Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)

    2018, Integrative Medicine: Fourth Edition
  • Symptoms and risk factors associated with first urinary tract infection in college age women: A prospective cohort study

    2013, Journal of Urology
    Citation Excerpt :

    All symptomatic women received appropriate antimicrobial treatment and made a followup visit 2 weeks after treatment. All women completed a questionnaire modeled after that of Foxman and Chi,14 which assessed urinary tract symptoms, demographic information, menstrual and yeast infection history, smoking/alcohol/dietary habits and sexual/contraceptive history. Participants self-reported the occurrence and duration of urinary frequency, urgency, dysuria, abdominal pain, nocturia, hematuria, fever, chills, back pain and flank pain.

  • Urinary Tract Infection

    2013, Women and Health
View all citing articles on Scopus

This work was supported by Grant No. DK35368 from the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

View full text