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THE PUBLIC’S VIEW ON
BEDWETTING
Three public forums on
bed-wetting or nocturnal enuresis were conducted by the Society for Continence
(Singapore) and the Singapore Paediatric Society on two Saturdays of March
1999. A questionnaire survey was done in order to determine the public’s
view of the problem and how they have addressed it.
Majority of the
attendees had a relative or friend who suffers from the condition.
Interestingly, however, nearly 15% of the attending public had no personal
acquaintance with a neuritic.
Nearly 50% of the
bedwetters in the survey belonged to the 7-10 years age group. At least 2% were
above 21 years old. Almost 80% of the neurotics had more that 3 wet nights per
week.
More than 95% consider
bedwetting a problem, realizing that the condition affects various aspects of
the patient’s life, particularly his self-esteem and school performance.
Despite the severity of
the problem, almost three quarters of the bedwetters did not receive any form
of treatment. Instead various approaches have been used to deal with the
problem including punishing the child and ignoring the problem.
Majority of the public
feels that doctors do not pay enough attention to the problem of bedwetting.
This is perhaps that major reason why less than half discuss the condition with
their physicians.
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Most
bedwetters are aged 7-10 years
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Majority of
the enuretics wet their beds at least 3 times per week |
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Only one
third of enuretics have received some form of treatment |
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Over 95% of
the patients and their families consider enuresis as a significant problem |
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Most people
realize that bedwetting affects several aspects of the life of the sufferer and
his family |
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Less than
half discussed the problem of bedwetting with their doctor |
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Many feel
that doctors do not pay enough attention to the problem of bedwetting |
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