What are risk factors for chronic prostatitis?

To better understand risk factors for chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS), Michigan researchers collected data from 703 men enrolled in the Flint Men's Health Study, a population-based health study of African American men. Participants were interviewed about their health history and lifestyle factors, such as physical activity. They also answered questions about stress and emotional health.

The researchers found that poor emotional health, high levels of stress (as perceived by study participants), and a lack of social support were associated with a history of prostatitis (inflammation or infection of the prostate). The findings were consistent with those of a Harvard study, which observed that men who reported severe stress at work or home were 1.2 and 1.5 times more likely to report prostatitis, respectively, than those whose lives were relatively stress-free.

Stress also seems to heighten prostatitis pain, according to researchers in Seattle. They interviewed men about stress and pain intensity by telephone a month after the men were diagnosed with prostatitis and then again three, six, and 12 months later. They concluded that the men with more perceived stress during the six months following diagnosis were in more pain after a year than those who experienced less stress. Despite the limitations of the study, such as the lack of health data on participants prior to diagnosis, the researchers wrote that treatment should include stress management techniques.