Prevalence of Urinary Incontinence among Women and Its Impact on Quality of Life in a Semirural Area of Western Turkey

Abstract

Background/Aims: Urinary incontinence (UI) is a very common and bothersome condition among women, affecting up to 50% of women during their lifetime. Older women are disproportionately affected and often view UI as a normal part of aging, thus precluding contact with medical professionals. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and risk factors of UI in women aged 20 years or older, as well as to examine its effects on women’s quality of life (QOL). Methods: The study was conducted on 1,585 women aged 20 years and over between January and March 2007. Data were obtained by a face-to-face interview, using a questionnaire consisting of questions pertaining to the women’s demographic characteristics, medical and obstetric history and UI. The Short Form-36 (SF-36) scale was used to assess the QOL of the women. Results: The prevalence of UI in this group of women was 49.5%. UI was significantly associated with advanced age (p < 0.05), lower education level (p ≤ 0.001), recurrent urinary tract infection (p < 0.001), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (p < 0.001), diabetes mellitus (p ≤ 0.001), a history of nocturnal enuresis in childhood (p < 0.001), taking diuretics (p < 0.05) and body mass index (p < 0.001). When the QOL of the women with and without UI were evaluated, the scores for women without UI were higher than those with mild, moderate or severe UI (p < 0.001 for each). Women with UI of varying severity had lower mean domain scores on the SF-36 than women without UI (p < 0.001 for each). As the severity of UI increased, it was seen that the mean domain scores according to the scale showed a decrease (p < 0.001). Conclusion: It is concluded that UI is a common disorder among women in this region of Turkey and that it also negatively affects these women’s QOL, suggesting the need for more social and medical study in this area.

Prevalence of Urinary Incontinence in a Random Sample of the Urban Population of Pouso Alegre, Minas Gerais, Brazil

“…A study conducted in Western Turkey with a sample of 1,585 women 20 years old or older reported a prevalence of 49.5% and the following associated factors: frequent urinary infections, diabetes mellitus, diuretic medication and advanced age (16) .…”

Role of Pelvic Floor Muscle Exercises in the Prevention of Stress Urinary Incontinence during Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period

“…Thus, most pregnant women do not seek treatment for these symptoms [6]. These symptoms very frequently experienced during pregnancy and postpartum may negatively affect quality of life by interfering with women’s social, professional and family-related activities [7,8]. …”

Does urinary incontinence affect quality of life of Greek women less severely? A cross-sectional study in two Mediterranean settings

“…However, women with mixed incontinence that was found to be the most frequent type in the Turkish sub-group, seemed to report more severe incontinence than those with stress or urge incontinence [5,33]. This is further supported by a recently published study of 785 incontinent women in Turkey with mean age 50.42 ± 14.95 years, where the percentage of severe and moderate mixed incontinence was found to be almost 80% [41]. Further studies of incontinence severity in Turkish community-dwelling women with a validated tool would be particularly helpful.…”