No abstract

The risk of urinary incontinence is higher among women who have had cesarean sections than among nulliparous women and is even higher among women who have had vaginal deliveries. However, these findings should not be used to justify an increase in the use of cesarean sections.

the prevalence of postpartum incontinence was high. Prevalence was substantially less for more frequent incontinence. Urinary incontinence after cesarean section was half the prevalence after vaginal delivery.

Parity is an important risk factor for female urinary incontinence in fertile and peri- and early postmenopausal ages. Only stress and mixed types of incontinence are associated with parity. All effects of parity seem to disappear in older age.

II.

Objective To examine whether modifiable lifestyle factors such as smoking, obesity, physical activity and intake of alcohol or caffeinated drinks were associated with urinary incontinence in women. Design Cross sectional population-based study.Setting The Norwegian Epidemiology of Incontinence in the County of Nord-Trøndelag (EPINCONT) Study is part of a large survey performed in a county in Norway during 1995 -1997. Population Women 20 years (n ¼ 34,755, 75% of the invited) attended the first part of the survey and received the questionnaire. There were 27,936 (80% of source population) women who completed the incontinence part of the questionnaire. Methods Questionnaire covering several health topics including urinary incontinence was received at a screening station. Logistic regression analysis was used to adjust for confounding and to establish associations with the different outcomes under investigation: any incontinence, severe incontinence and stress, urge and mixed subtypes. Main outcome measures Effect measure were odds ratios with corresponding 95% confidence intervals.Results Former and current smoking was associated with incontinence, but only for those who smoked more than 20 cigarettes per day. Severe incontinence was weakly associated with smoking regardless of number of cigarettes. The association between increasing body mass index and incontinence was strong and present for all subtypes. Increasing levels of low intensity physical activity had a weak and negative association with incontinence. Tea drinkers were at slightly higher risk for all types of incontinence. We found no important effects of high intensity physical activity, intake of alcohol or coffee. Conclusions Several potentially modifiable lifestyle factors are associated with urinary incontinence. Highest odds ratios were found for body mass index, heavy smoking and tea drinking.

No abstract

Infection with Giardia lamblia in a non-endemic area was associated with a high prevalence of IBS and chronic fatigue 3 years after acute illness, and the risk was significantly higher than in the control group. This shows that the potential consequences of giardiasis are more serious than previously known. Further studies are needed, especially in areas where giardiasis is endemic.