High disease activity persists in adults with childhood-onset lupus.

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) established the Symptoms of Lower Urinary Tract Dysfunction Research Network (LURN) in 2012 to increase understanding of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). In LURN’s second phase (LURN II, 2021–2026), the network conducts observational research in individuals experiencing urinary urgency (URG) and urgency urinary incontinence (UUI) to identify and characterize important patient subgroups. To achieve this, we designed the 1-year longitudinal Urinary Urgency Phenotyping (UUP) study, along with several sub-studies, that aim to thoroughly phenotype men and women with URG and UUI. LURN previously demonstrated the importance of various lifestyle factors on LUTS. To further this work, we developed the Urinary rgency and ifestyle Wearable cker (ULTra) study as a UUP sub-study. The ULTra study focused on two non-urologic lifestyle factors linked to urinary urgency and critical to overall health: physical activity and sleep quality. Both are modifiable factors frequently targeted in behavioral interventions to promote health and reduce risk of chronic conditions, such as obesity and cardiovascular disease. Sleep disturbance and low physical activity levels are commonly reported in patients with URG and UUI. However, epidemiological studies also suggest a bidirectional relationship between these lifestyle behaviors and urinary symptoms, highlighting significant knowledge gaps in understanding the nature of these associations. Earlier studies have relied on self-reported assessments of physical activity and sleep behaviors, such as questionnaires and diaries. While these are practical, they may be limited by recall bias, lack of details, and a higher likelihood of missing data. The ULTra study aimed to address these gaps by employing mobile wearable tracking devices to objectively and accurately quantify these lifestyle behaviors, while minimizing patient burden.