TY - JOUR
T1 - Relationship between bidet toilet use and haemorrhoids and urogenital infections
T2 - A 3-year follow-up web survey
AU - Asakura, K.
AU - Nakano, M.
AU - Omae, K.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018.
Copyright:
Copyright 2018 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2018/4/1
Y1 - 2018/4/1
N2 - Given the growing use of electric bidet toilets in Japan and other countries, we assessed the relationship between bidet toilet use and haemorrhoids or urogenital infections. Data were collected using a web-based longitudinal survey. In total, 10 305 subjects randomly selected from panels of a Japanese website research company for the baseline survey in 2013 were asked about their frequency of bidet toilet use and receipt of a doctor's diagnosis or subjective symptom of haemorrhoids and urogenital infections. One- and three-year follow-up surveys were performed in 2014 and 2016, respectively, and information on newly diagnosed/experienced outcomes occurring during the follow-up period were collected. Cumulative incidence of haemorrhoids and urogenital infections was not significantly increased by habitual use of a bidet toilet. In men, more habitual users reported subjective symptoms of irritated skin around the anus, which were newly experienced during follow-up than non-habitual users (adjusted risk ratio 1.36 (95% confidence interval 1.06-1.75)). Further studies are needed to confirm this relationship. Several of the outcomes were significantly more prevalent in habitual users, but these results were probably explained by reverse causation.
AB - Given the growing use of electric bidet toilets in Japan and other countries, we assessed the relationship between bidet toilet use and haemorrhoids or urogenital infections. Data were collected using a web-based longitudinal survey. In total, 10 305 subjects randomly selected from panels of a Japanese website research company for the baseline survey in 2013 were asked about their frequency of bidet toilet use and receipt of a doctor's diagnosis or subjective symptom of haemorrhoids and urogenital infections. One- and three-year follow-up surveys were performed in 2014 and 2016, respectively, and information on newly diagnosed/experienced outcomes occurring during the follow-up period were collected. Cumulative incidence of haemorrhoids and urogenital infections was not significantly increased by habitual use of a bidet toilet. In men, more habitual users reported subjective symptoms of irritated skin around the anus, which were newly experienced during follow-up than non-habitual users (adjusted risk ratio 1.36 (95% confidence interval 1.06-1.75)). Further studies are needed to confirm this relationship. Several of the outcomes were significantly more prevalent in habitual users, but these results were probably explained by reverse causation.
KW - Electric bidet toilet
KW - general population
KW - haemorrhoid
KW - longitudinal study
KW - urogenital infection
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U2 - 10.1017/S0950268818000584
DO - 10.1017/S0950268818000584
M3 - Article
C2 - 29560836
AN - SCOPUS:85044194627
VL - 146
SP - 763
EP - 770
JO - Epidemiology and Infection
JF - Epidemiology and Infection
SN - 0950-2688
IS - 6
ER -