Relationships between nocturia and geriatric syndromes among community-dwelling older adults: the NOSE study

Objectives Nocturia and geriatric syndromes (GSs) are common and burdensome among older adults. Despite their negative effects on sleep, functioning, and quality of life (QOL), many community-dwelling older adults leave them unaddressed and the associations between nocturia and representative GSs among them remain underexplored. This study examined associations between nocturia and representative GSs, including those not intuitively related to urinary symptoms. Methods A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data from 744 community-dwelling adults aged ≥ 65 years old in Nose Town, Osaka. Nocturia was defined as ≥ 2 voids per night. 15 GSs were assessed via questionnaire by interview. Sex-stratified multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed, adjusting for demographic and medical factors. Results Nocturia was more prevalent in males (47.1%) than females (30.8%) (p < 0.001). In males, nocturia was significantly associated with poor sleep (OR: 2.04; 95% CI: 1.18–3.54) and numbness (2.08; 1.19–3.64). In females, it was associated with poor sleep (1.93; 1.20–3.10) and leg edema (1.84; 1.11–3.07). Understanding its association with GSs may support community-based detection and integrated preventive strategies to improve QOL in aging societies, and may also help link community-based identification with appropriate clinical care.