The relationship between dietary live microbe intake and overactive bladder among American adults: a cross-sectional study from NHANES 2007–2018

Abstract Objective The underlying mechanisms of Overactive Bladder (OAB) remain unclear. This research is designed to investigate the correlation between the intake of dietary live microorganisms and OAB. Methods This analysis encompasses a cross-sectional study of broad population information gathered from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) spanning the years 2007 to 2018. Participants were categorized into three groups—low, medium, and high—according to their consumption of dietary live microorganisms, as per the Sanders Dietary Active Microbiota Classification System. We utilized a weighted logistic regression model, restricted cubic spline (RCS), and subgroup analyses to investigate the relationship between dietary live microorganism intake and OAB. Results This research encompassed 16,795 subjects. The incidence of OAB was reduced in the group consuming a high amount of live dietary microbes compared to the groups with low and medium intake of such microbes. After detailed adjustments for covariates, analysis revealed that participants in the high live dietary microbe group had notably reduced odds of OAB compared to those in the low live dietary microbe group (OR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.71–0.99, p = 0.03). RCS analysis indicated a nonlinear correlation between high dietary active microbiota intake and the incidence of OAB. Conclusion This research emphasizes the potential advantages of a high dietary intake of active microbiota for preventing OAB. These findings support incorporating active microbiota into dietary guidelines, demonstrating their connection with a decreased incidence of OAB.