Prevalence and Correlates of Urinary Incontinence Among Older Community-Dwelling Women

Abstract

OBJECTIVES As the aging population in the United States grows, the investigation of urinary incontinence (UI) issues becomes increasingly important, especially among women. Using data from the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), we sought to determine the prevalence and correlates of UI among an ethnically diverse population of older, community-dwelling women. METHODS 5,374 female Californians aged 65 or older participated in a population-based, cross-sectional random digit dialing telephone survey. The CHIS 2003 adult survey included one question for Californians aged 65+ about UI. Additional information collected via the self-reported survey included demographics (age, race/ethnicity, education, and household income); general health data (self-reported health status, height and weight, fall history, and special equipment needs); medical co-morbidities; and health behaviors (tobacco usage, physical activity, and hormone replacement therapy (HRT)). RESULTS The estimated state-wide female prevalence rate for UI was 24.4%. Prevalence rates increased with age. UI was significantly associated with poorer overall health (adjusted OR 3.43, p<0.001), decreased mobility (OR 1.81, p=0.004), current use of HRT (OR 1.72, p<0.001), being overweight or obese (OR 1.60, p<0.001), a history of falls (OR 1.53, p=0.002), and a history of heart disease (OR 1.38, p=0.010). After adjusting for all health factors, UI was not found to have any significant association with level of education, household poverty status, or smoking status. CONCLUSIONS UI prevalence among this diverse group of older community-dwelling Californian women parallels that of other population-based studies. CHIS demonstrated that poor health, increased BMI, falls, and decreased mobility are strongly correlated with UI.

Noctural Enuresis as a Risk Factor for Falls in Older Community Dwelling Women with Urinary Incontinence

“…5–6 In a meta-analysis, the increased risk for falls was 1.54 in women with urgency UI and 1.92 in women with mixed UI. 7 The risk of falls is especially high in older community-dwelling women because as many as 32% of older women may not seek care for their UI.…”

Acute effect of resistance exercise performed at different intensities on urine loss in older women

“…In this respect, waist circumference has been shown to be an important risk factor for the development of UI [8,16]. Intervention studies have demonstrated a decrease of up to 47% in episodes of urine loss with a reduction in body weight [17].…”

“…Although it is known that UI is associated with decreased mobility [8] and that older women performing physical exercise have better pelvic floor muscle function than their sedentary peers [9], it is necessary to determine whether older women with UI lose urine when performing resistance exercise at different intensities (moderate and vigorous). Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the acute effect of resistance exercise performed at different intensities (moderate and vigorous) on urine loss in older women with mixed and stress UI.…”

Untitled

“…The UI is a usual issue on women aging, with prevalence of 17% to 24% in women over 65 years-old, and increase $75% in women above 75 years-old. 17 Based on epidemiological studies, the occurrence of UI in elderly women is related to diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. 18 The correlation between the estrogen serum levels and the urogenital system atrophy is directly related to the incidence of UI.…”