Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The STEP trials

A round-up of the STEP phase 3 clinical trials evaluating semaglutide for weight loss in people with overweight or obesity.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
BMC Women's Health
Published in: BMC Women's Health 1/2013

Open Access 01-12-2013 | Research article

Self-reported urinary incontinence and factors associated with symptom severity in community dwelling adult women: implications for women’s health promotion

Authors: Vidya Seshan, Joshua Kanaabi Muliira

Published in: BMC Women's Health | Issue 1/2013

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

Urinary incontinence (UI) continues to affect millions of women worldwide and those living in resource poor settings seem to be more affected. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of UI and factors associated with UI symptom severity (UISS) among women in a selected district in India.

Methods

A cross-sectional design was used to collect data from a sample of 598 community dwelling women in the age range of 20 to 60 years. Data was collected using a questionnaire survey of participants who were found in their homes.

Results

The prevalence of UI was 33.8% and the majority of women had negative attitudes about the condition. For instance most women were in agreement with statements such as: UI cannot be prevented or cured (98%); women with UI are cursed (97%); women are not supposed to tell anyone about the problem (90%) and others. Of the 202 women with self-reported UI, the majority reported having moderate UISS (78%) and others rated the symptoms as mild (22%). The woman’s age at first birth (p<.01) was negatively associated with UISS, while the number of pregnancies (p<.01) and weight of the largest baby ever delivered (p<.01), were positively associated with UISS. The weight of the largest baby delivered had the strongest impact on predicting UISS.

Conclusions

Many community dwelling women are suffering from UI at proportions which warrant significant public health consideration. Therefore public health programs to prevent UI or worsening of symptoms are required and should emphasize health education, because of the pervasive negative attitudes among affected and unaffected women. The predictors reported here can be used to priotize care for affected women and to encourage early uptake of health actions and behaviors that promote pelvic floor strengthening in at risk women who may be reluctant to disclose UI.
Literature
1.
Hunskaar S, Van Geelen JM: The epidemiology of female Urinary incontinence. European Clinics in Obstet & Gynecol. 2005, 1 (1): 3-11. 10.1007/s11296-004-0004-z.CrossRef
2.
Irwin DE, Kopp ZS, Agatep B, Milsom I, Abrams P: Worldwide prevalence estimates of lower urinary tract symptoms, overactive bladder, urinary incontinence and bladder outlet obstruction. British J Urology Int. 2011, 108: 1132-1139. 10.1111/j.1464-410X.2010.09993.x.CrossRef
3.
Friedman B, Stothers L: Risk factors of the development of stress Urinary incontinence in women. Female Urology. 2011, 12 (5): 363-369.
4.
Emily SL, Jean ML, Richard C, Charles WN, Karl ML: Parity, Mode of delivery and pelvic floor disorders. Obstet Gynecol. 2006, 107 (6): 1253-1260. 10.1097/01.AOG.0000218096.54169.34.CrossRef
5.
Connolly NT, Litman H, Tennstedt S: The effect of mode of delivery, parity and birth weight on risk of urinary incontinence. Int Urological J Pelvic Floor Dysfunction. 2007, 18: 1033-1042. 10.1007/s00192-006-0286-4.CrossRef
6.
Press J, Klein M, Kaczorowski J: Does Cesarean section reduce postpartum Urinary incontinence? A systematic review. Birth. 2007, 34 (3): 228-237. 10.1111/j.1523-536X.2007.00175.x.CrossRefPubMed
7.
Fonti Y, Giordano R, Cacciatore A, La Rosa B: Post partum pelvic floor changes. J Prenatal Med. 2009, 3 (4): 57-59.
8.
Herbert J: Pregnancy and childbirth: The effects on pelvic floor muscles. Nursing Times. 2009, 105 (7): 38-41.PubMed
9.
Burgio KL, Borello-France D, Richter HE: Risk factors for fecal and Urinary incontinence after childbirth: the childbirth and pelvic symptoms study. Am J Gastroenterol. 2007, 102 (9): 1998-2004. 10.1111/j.1572-0241.2007.01364.x.CrossRefPubMed
10.
Hayman R: Instrumental vaginal delivery. Current Obstet & Gynecol. 2005, 15: 87-96. 10.1016/j.curobgyn.2004.12.001.CrossRef
11.
Williams A, Herron-Marx S, Knibb R: The prevalence of enduring postnatal perineal morbidity and its relationship to type of birth and birth risk factors. J Clin Nurs. 2007, 16 (3): 549-561. 10.1111/j.1365-2702.2006.01593.x.CrossRefPubMed
12.
Walker GJA: Gunasekera, P: Pelvic organ prolapsed and incontinence in developing countries: review of prevalence and risk factors. Int Urogynecol J. 2011, 22: 127-135. 10.1007/s00192-010-1215-0.CrossRefPubMed
13.
Boyles SH, Li H, Mori T, Osterweil P, Guise JM: Effect of mode of delivery on the incidence of urinary incontinence in perimiparous women. Obstet Gynecol. 2009, 113 (1): 134-141.CrossRefPubMed
14.
Thomas JC, Heather JL, Sharon LT, Corol LL, John BM: The effect of mode of delivery, parity and birth weight on risk of Urinary incontinence. Int Urogynecology J. 2007, 18 (9): 1033-1042. 10.1007/s00192-006-0286-4.CrossRef
15.
Tondalaya LG, Hongyan D, Peter KS, Sylvia MB, Magdalena R, Roger PG: Urge incontinence: estimating environmental and obstetrical risk factors using an identical twin study. Int Urogynecol J Pelvic Floor Dysfunct. 2010, 21 (8): 939-946. 10.1007/s00192-010-1140-2.CrossRef
16.
Chen B, Wen Y, Zhang YG, Warrington JA, Polan ML: Micro array analysis of differentially expressed genes in vaginal tissues from women with stress urinary incontinence compared with asymptomatic women. Hum Reprod. 2005, 21 (1): 22-29. 10.1093/humrep/dei276.CrossRefPubMed
17.
Chiu A-F, Huang M-H, Wang C-C, Kuo H-C: Prevalence and factors associated with overactive bladder and urinary incontinence in community-dwelling Taiwanese. Tzu Chi Med J. 2012, 10.1016/j.tcmj.2012.03.002
18.
Botlero R, Davis SR, Urqurhart DM, Bell RJ: Incidence and resolution rates of different types of urinary incontinence in women: Findings from a cohort study. J Urol. 2011, 185: 1331-1337. 10.1016/j.juro.2010.11.080.CrossRefPubMed
19.
Abrams P, Cardozo L, Fall M: The standardization of Terminology of Lower Urinary Tract Function: Report from the standardization sub-committee of the International Continence Society. Neurourol Urodyn. 2002, 21: 167-178. 10.1002/nau.10052.CrossRefPubMed
20.
Fiegen MM, Benson KD, Hanson JD, Prasek J, Hansen KA, VanEerden P: The prevalence of urinary incontinence in American Indian women from a South Dakota tribe. Int Urogynecol J. 2012, 23: 473-479. 10.1007/s00192-011-1588-8.CrossRefPubMed
21.
Menezes M, Pereira M, Hextall A: Predictors of female urinary incontinence at midlife and beyond. Maturitas. 2010, 65: 167-171. 10.1016/j.maturitas.2009.10.004.CrossRefPubMed
22.
Townsend MK, Danforth KN, Rosner B, Curhan GC, Resnick NM, Grodstein F: Body mass index, weight gain, and incident urinary incontinence in middle-aged women. Obstetric Gynecol. 2007, 110: 346-356. 10.1097/01.AOG.0000270121.15510.57.CrossRef
23.
Hunskaar S: A systematic review of overweight and obesity as risk factors and targets for clinical intervention for urinary incontinence in women. Neurourol Urodyn. 2008, 27 (8): 749-57. 10.1002/nau.20635.CrossRefPubMed
Metadata
Title
Self-reported urinary incontinence and factors associated with symptom severity in community dwelling adult women: implications for women’s health promotion
Authors
Vidya Seshan
Joshua Kanaabi Muliira
Publication date
01-12-2013
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Women's Health / Issue 1/2013
Electronic ISSN: 1472-6874
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6874-13-16

Other articles of this Issue 1/2013

BMC Women's Health 1/2013 Go to the issue

Research article

Determinants of sexual health knowledge in adolescent girls in schools of Riyadh-Saudi Arabia: a cross sectional study

Study protocol

Levonorgestrel releasing intrauterine system (Mirena) versus endometrial ablation (Novasure) in women with heavy menstrual bleeding: a multicentre randomised controlled trial

Research article

Vaginal douching by women with vulvovaginitis and relation to reproductive health hazards

Research article

Digging over that old ground: an Australian perspective of women’s experience of psychosocial assessment and depression screening in pregnancy and following birth

Research article

“It’s not easy to acknowledge that I’m ill”: a qualitative investigation into the health seeking behavior of rural Palestinian women

Study protocol

Sexual assault resistance education for university women: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial (SARE trial)