Help-seeking behavior among women currently leaking urine in Nigeria: is it any different from the rest of the world?

Abstract

ObjectiveWe examined help-seeking behaviors and factors influencing their choice of hospital care in women currently leaking urine.Materials and methodsThis study was part of a multistage community survey conducted among 5001 women in Nigeria who participated in the Ibadan Urinary Incontinence Household Survey. Help-seeking behavior was analyzed among 139 respondents currently leaking urine within the population surveyed.ResultsThe mean age of those currently leaking urine was 35.7 years (standard deviation = 15.8). Only 18 (12.9%) had ever sought help, of which 15 had received hospital care. Logistic regression analysis showed that the odds of seeking hospital care was higher among less educated women (odds ratio [OR] = 4.05, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.17–13.89) and among those with severe incontinence (OR = 4.20, 95% CI: 1.24–14.29). Reasons mentioned for not seeking hospital care include a belief that the condition is not life-threatening (51.2%), do not believe there is treatment (18.2%), lack of funds (1.7%), too shy to disclose (2.5%), afraid of complications (1.7%), other (2.5%), and no reason (22.3%).ConclusionThis study shows that very few women, currently experiencing urinary incontinence have sought medical care (approximately 1 in 10); and that the barriers identified are similar to those identified in previous studies, except that these women lack the necessary funds to seek care.

Barriers to Urinary Incontinence Care Seeking in White, Black, and Latina Women

“…Insurance status, for example, was not collected for this study; therefore it is unclear if this factor also contributes to cost barriers. Other studies corroborate that cost can be a significant barrier for UI treatment seeking in any population [14, 15]. When adjusting for socioeconomic status, cost no longer remained a disparate factor affecting Latinas.…”

Factors Associated With Treatment‐Seeking Behavior for Postpartum Urinary Incontinence

“…It is likely that some women may come from countries where it is not usual to treat this problem with health professionals or there may be other cultural differences. Recent studies report very dissimilar help-seeking rates depending on the countries: 10.8% in Nigerian women (Adedokun et al, 2012), 14.5% in Saudi women (Al-Badr et al, 2012), 15.7% in Pakistani women (Jokhio, Rizvi, Rizvi, & Macarthur, 2013), and around 20% in Brazilian women (Rios, Cardoso, Rodrigues, & De almeida, 2011) and Egyptian women (El-Azab & Shaaban, 2010), while rates over 50% have been found in North American women (Berger et al, 2011). Future research will need to explain these differences.…”

“…The women report that it worsens their quality of life because it provokes fear, frustration, anxiety, and causes difficulties in having a social life, in practicing physical activities or that it worsens their sex life (Burman & Largo-janssen 2013). Despite the impact that UI has on their health, studies conducted in different countries show low consultation, diagnosis and treatment rates (Adedokun, Morhason-Bello, Ojengbede, Okonkwo, & Kolade, 2012;Al-Badr, Brasha, Al-Raddadi, Noorwali, & Ross, 2012;Welch, Taubenberger, & Tennstedt, 2011).…”

“…Studies inform that seeking help is associated with severity and UI impact on women's quality of life (Howard & Steggall, 2010), and with the existence of barriers such as access to health services (Berger, Patel, Miller, DeLancey, & Fenner, 2011) or their ignorance of the possibility of being treated (Adedokun et al, 2012). On the other hand, health professionals are barely involved in the problem, as it is the women themselves who deal with the issue more often than health professionals (Diokno et al, 2004).…”

Adaptation and validation of the Michigan Incontinence Severity Index in a Turkish population

“…They also found that one of the most important determinants of the probability of seeking health care was type and duration of UI; those patients with severe UI are less likely to seek care. Adedokun et al 16 found that the most common reasons for not accessing health care services to help with UI were a belief that UI is not treatable, not life-threatening, and a normal condition. Therefore, a validated tool that can rapidly identify women with clinically relevant UI and can aid physicians in referring patients for available treatments should be effective in the primary health care setting.…”