OBJECTIVE: Overactive bladder (OAB) is a highly prevalent condition that can result in substantial changes to an individual s daily activities. Behavioral changes to cope with OAB symptoms are likely to occur early in the natural history of OAB. In later stages, OAB tends to more directly affect activities. As one step in developing an OAB-specific QoL instrument, we conducted a population-based study to determine the reliability of reporting of coping strategies and other aspects of QoL thought to be OAB-related. METHODS: A US population sample of 231 adults completed an interview twice, on average, two weeks apart. Detailed questions were asked about OAB symptoms, coping strategies, and the psychological/physical impact of symptoms in the past 4 weeks. RESULTS: The most common coping strategies were restricting fluid intake (day or night) and defensive voiding. Relatively high kappas (i.e., ?0.60) were observed for concerned about drinking more fluid , limiting travel , defensive voiding in a new place , and drink less fluid at night . Reports on the level of distress caused by coping and on the use of protective pads were highly reliable (r=0.81; r=0.82). The most common terms for reporting feelings about bladder control included annoyed , concerned , and bothered , all of which were reported with high reliability (kappa = 0.60 0.71); few individuals used distressing or ashamed . Interference with activities was associated with ability to travel, attending social events and exercising (kappa>0.60). CONCLUSIONS: Using a 4-week recall period and with a 2-week interval between interviews, we found that individuals are highly reliable in reporting on coping strategies, psychological impact , and the impact of bladder control on activities.