Conceptualization and Measurement of Physiologic Health for Adults

Vol. 16, Urinary Tract Infection

John V. Zielske, Kathleen N. Lohr, Robert H. Brook, George A. Goldberg

ResearchPublished 1981

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is the presence and growth of bacteria anywhere in the kidneys, their collecting systems, or the bladder. Data on UTI incidence, prevalence, and adverse consequences are used in the Health Insurance Study (HIS) to investigate the effect of different levels of insurance on health status and quality of care because of its ease of diagnosis, amenability to treatment, common occurrence (especially in women), and impact on wellbeing. This volume reviews pertinent medical literature, details the HIS definition of UTI, describes HIS methods for measuring its presence and impact on people's lives, presents and discusses enrollment data from the six HIS sites, and outlines quality-of-care criteria. Illustrative findings include: Based on questionnaire data, 43 percent of adult female enrollees reported a past UTI (usually one or two episodes). Among those women with probable infection at enrollment, 41 percent reported adverse effects (mainly pain or worry).

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Zielske, John V., Kathleen N. Lohr, Robert H. Brook, and George A. Goldberg, Conceptualization and Measurement of Physiologic Health for Adults: Vol. 16, Urinary Tract Infection. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 1981. https://www.rand.org/pubs/reports/R2262z16.html.
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