(HealthDay News) – In its February issue publication, The Journal of Urology featured a study that says bullying is associated with 8 to 11 year-olds exhibiting lower urinary tract symptoms or LUTS.
The correlation between pediatric lower urinary tract symptoms and exposure to bullying among 8 to 11 year-olds were examined by Christina B. Ching, M.D., from Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn. and her colleagues. Using the Vancouver Symptom Score at a pediatric urology clinic, it was revealed that exposure to school bullying was assessed via the Setting the Record Straight bullying questionnaire among children who were also being assessed for lower urinary tract symptoms. Children presenting for pediatric well visits also completed the questionnaires. Data were included for 113 children at the urology clinic and 63 children in the primary care setting.
Within the urology clinic group, Vancouver Symptoms Score was significantly associated with self-perceived and peer-perceived victimization scores (both P< 0.001) A significant association was also seen between Vancouver Symptom Score and self-perceived (P = 0.01)and peer perceived (P = 0.001) bullying perpetrator scores in the primary care group. 33% of children seen at the primary care office had a significant Vancouver Symptom Score. These observations were significant differences between the two populations, with more perpetrators of bullying in the primary care group (7.9% versus 0.9%; P = 0.02). "Although bullying exposure is multifactorial, we found that Vancouver Symptom Score can be associated with bullying victimization and perpetrator scores," the authors write.