Researchers have found that people who spend prolonged periods in front of the TV are more likely to need to urinate multiple times during the night. In a study published in the journal Neurourology and Urodynamics, researchers in China analysed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in the US, focusing on responses collected from 2011 to 2016. Of the 13,294 participants aged 20 and older, 32% reported experiencing nocturia, which is the need to wake up and urinate two or more times during the night. After adjusting for various factors such as age, sex, body mass index, ethnicity, education level, and diabetes, the researchers found that the risk of experiencing nocturia was 48% higher in those who watched TV or videos for five or more hours a day than those who watched less than an hour.
The researchers note that the mechanism by which prolonged TV viewing increases the risk of nocturia is not well understood. However, they suggest that sedentary behavior associated with prolonged TV watching may lead to fluid retention in the legs, which could contribute to the condition. Additionally, TV watching usually aligns with beverage consumption, leading to an elevated fluid intake, which may also be a factor. They also suggest that prolonged TV viewing may lead to neurological disorders that could trigger bladder dysfunction, or affect sleep duration or quality, which is closely linked to experiencing nocturia.
Despite some limitations as the study cannot prove cause and effect and relied on self-reported data, the researchers urge healthcare professionals to inform patients about the link. They suggest increasing public awareness of this potential health risk to encourage individuals to be more mindful of their TV viewing time.
James Catto, professor of surgery at the University of Sheffield, who was not involved in the research, noted that there could be several factors muddying the waters in the new study. For example, those with nocturia tended to be older, have a higher body mass index, and be less mobile. Therefore, it is unclear whether they developed nocturia because they watched TV all day or whether they watched TV all day because of other factors and then ended up going to the toilet more often. Catto also added that while nocturia is common, especially among older people, it is not necessarily a cause for concern, although it can occur as a result of cancer, infections, or diabetes.
“If you’re going a lot at night, and it’s bothering you, see a GP, they’ll do a few tests to make sure you’ve not got diabetes,” said Catto. But, he added: “Most people are not too bothered by going once or twice at night.”
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References:
1. Wang, J., Zhang, A., Ye, M., & Zhang, C. (2024). Association between TV and/or video time and nocturia in adults: An analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Neurourology and Urodynamics. https://doi.org/10.1002/nau.25406
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3. Jhaveri J, Gauthier-Loiselle M, Gagnon-Sanschagrin P, Wu EQ. The economic burden of nocturia on the U.S. health care system and society: a national health and nutrition examination survey analysis. J Manag Care Spec Pharm. 2019; 25(12): 1398-13408.
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