Urinary tract infection (UTI) causes 3 percent of all women to visit a physician annually; about 28 percent of all women with initial infections have a second UTI. The ultimate goals of this research are to identify those health behaviors that increase a woman's risk of initial and recurring UTI and make recommendations for preventing this common condition. In order to achieve these goals, we will conduct a case-control study at the University of Michigan Health Service. The associations of sexual intercourse, frequency, number of partners and initiation, diaphragm use by type, size, frequency and duration of diaphragm use, spermacide use, urination habits, carbonated beverage, orange juice, cranberry juice, alcohol, tea, or coffee consumption, and wearing tight pants or jeans, or wearing synthetic panties, or pantyhose with UTI will be tested. Case Control Study: One thousand women with one or more urinary symptoms and a midstream urine culture with more or less than 10,000 colonies of a single bacteria per milliliter urine (cases), and 1000 to 3000 comparable women without urinary symptoms (controls) will be recruited. All participants will complete a self-administered questionnaire assessing the presence of health behaviors hypothesized to increase risk of UTI. Cases will also be sent a follow-up questionnaire assessing treatment and functional costs. The relative risk of UTI for cases versus controls, given exposure rates among women with initial infection will be compared to those with recurring infection. If the proposed study successfully identifies risk factors which, if modified, could prevent even a small proportion of recurring UTI, we will have made a significant contribution to women's health.
