SUMMARY One thousand and sixty women aged 18 or over, randomly selected from a defined geographical area in South Wales, were interviewed at home about their urinary symptoms. Ninety-five per cent co-operated, of whom 45% admitted to some degree of incontinence. 'Stress' incontinence was reported by 22% of women, 'urge' incontinence by 10%, and both types combined-'complex'-by 14%. In most women urinary loss was both small and infrequent but 5% of all women experienced a loss sufficient to necessitate a change of clothes; in 2-6% such loss occurred daily. Over 3% of all women reported that incontinence interfered with their social or domestic life but only half of these had sought medical advice.Urinary incontinence is a troublesome and probably underreported1 disorder in women. Its prevalence in the general community is unknown. The purpose of the present report is to measure the prevalence and severity of incontinence, and to estimate its social consequences among women from a South Wales community. MethodA random sample of 1140 women was drawn from the electoral register for a defined geographical area in South Wales centred on a light industrial town (population 38 000). Each of the selected women was sent a letter explaining the study and then visited by one of five female interviewers who had been trained by the first author in interviews in a cervical cytology clinic. A standard questionnaire,* which had been developed for an earlier survey,2 was used throughout. In order to minimise embarrassment, questions were asked first on general medical history and then on urinary symptoms and incontinence.These latter questions referred to a period of 12 'Copies of the appropriate sections of the questionnaire can be obtained from the authors. months before each interview and unless otherwise stated the results refer to the prevalence of incontinence during a period of 12 months.A symptomatic classification of the type of incontinence was derived from a section of the questionnaire. This is similar to that used in a study in

A study to determine the prevalence of urinary incontinence in a random sample of a total elderly community is described. The prevalence of incontinence in women aged 65 years or more was found to be 17% and in men 11%. The findings show that the prevalence of incontinence is particularly high among residents of old people's homes and geriatric hospitals, but that the majority of cases occur within the general community. The prevalence increases with age in both sexes; associations with a history of cerebrovascular disease, certain surgical procedures, multiple hospital admissions and drug usage are described. The findings of a follow-up study suggest that, although the disorder is long-standing and severe in a proportion of subjects, it is transient in approximately a third of all elderly subjects with the condition.

SUMMARY Possible aetiological factors for urinary incontinence were examined in a prevalence study among a random sample of 1000 women aged 18 and over. Infective factors were not markedly associated with incontinence but mechanical factors such as parity and obesity were. No association was found, however, between a history of perineal damage at childbirth and incontinence. Women with incontinence had on average a higher score for a 'neuroticism' trait elicited by questionnaire than women without the disorder.Little is known with certainty about the causes of urinary incontinence in women but many associated and predisposing factors have been described.' Simple stress incontinence is said to be associated commonly with vaginal prolapse2 but factors related to urgency-associated incontinence are numerous.3 In the present study a questionnaire was administered by trained interviewers to a random sample of women from, the community. The prevalence and severity of the disorder has been reported previously' and in the present paper we report the findings relating to the aetiological hypotheses which were tested by the study. Mechanical factors Those likely to be associated with raised intra-abdominal pressure and lower-than-average perineal tone were examined Methods

There are marked associations between social class and mortality from ischaemic heart disease (IHD). Using data from the Caerphilly and Speedwell Collaborative Heart Disease Studies the relationships between a number of known risk factors for IHD and social class are explored. The overall conclusions are that lipids and obesity are unlikely to play any part in explaining social differences in ischaemic heart disease. Blood pressure, particularly stystolic pressure, could be involved but the two data sets are inconsistent and associations are only shown in Speedwell. There are marked differences in the haemostatic related variables in the various social classes and the pattern of these is similar in Caerphilly and Speedwell. It is possible therefore that the class pattern of IHD is generated, in part at least, by differences in haemostatic mechanisms. These differences in haemostatic function are almost entirely due to the large social class differences in smoking habit. It is possible therefore that the class differences in IHD result from differences in smoking habit.

Concern has been expressed in recent years over the rising trends in overweight and obesity, particularly in children in developed countries. No recent data were available for Northern Ireland; therefore measurements of height and weight were included in a study in Northern Ireland originally designed as part of an international study to estimate the prevalence of symptoms of asthma and atopy in childhood. Twenty‐six schools across the province were sampled, 2484 children aged mainly 13 and 14 y completed questionnaires, and 2307 were weighed and measured. Using recently proposed international guidelines on defining overweight and obesity in children the prevalence of overweight in boys was 16%, with 4% being obese. In girls 16% were also overweight and 2% were obese. This concurs with figures for English and Scottish schoolchildren up to 12 y of age from 1994. Less than one‐sixth of obese boys but more than one‐third of obese girls were on weight‐reducing diets (the majority self‐prescribed), reflecting differing attitudes towards excess weight. Conclusion: In line with figures in younger children from England and Scotland this study shows that 16% of boys and girls from Northern Ireland are classed as overweight using recent international guidelines. Only 15% of obese boys compared with 38% of obese girls stated that they were on weight‐reducing diets.