Prevalence and Incidence of Urinary Tract Infections Among Females Aged 10 to 15 Years: Identification of the Most Common Bacterial Pathogen

Background: The infection of the urinary tract is prevalent among females aged between 13 and 19 years because of anatomical and behavioral factors; there is a high difference in prevalence and incidence among the populations. Aims of the study: To estimate the prevalence and incidence of urinary tract infection in females aged 1015 years and to find out the most common bacterial pathogens associated with the infections. Methodology: This case-control study evaluated the prevalence and incidence of the urinary tract infections in females aged 10-15 years in Iraq. One hundred participants participated (70 UTI patients and 30 controls). Clinical symptoms and positive urine culture were used to diagnose the disease. Midstream urine samples that were clean were cultured on Blood and MacConkey agar, and significant bacteriuria was considered to be 105 CFU/mL and above. Gram staining and biochemical test were used to identify the bacteria. A structured questionnaire was used to gather the sociodemographic and clinical data. Result: There were no major differences between UTI patients and controls in terms of ages (P = 0.421), BMI (P = 0.118), and residence (P = 0.823). Poor hygiene (P = 0.006) and prior history of UTI (P = 0.002) were however very high among the patients. UTIs were very common and most of the cases were first-time and not recurrent. The predominant pathogen was E. coli. Unhygienic (P = 0.005) and previous UTI (P = 0.003) were important risk factors and residence and BMI did not have any significant association. Conclusions: The main factors that contribute to the development of UTI in adolescent females are poor hygiene and the history of infection, which contributes to the colonization and recurrence of bacteria. The preponderance of E. coli indicates its high virulence mechanisms, and this is why better hygiene and early preventive measures are necessary.