Prevalence of Urinary Incontinence in the 12-Month Postpartum Period and Related Risk Factors in Turkey

Abstract

Aim: The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of urinary incontinence in the 12-month postpartum period and the risk factors related to this condition. Methods: The research is a cross-sectional study of 1,749 first-year postpartum women living in the metropolis of Konya and presenting at seven city health centers. The statistical methods used were the χ², the Student’s t test and logistic regression analysis. Results: Of the women in the study who were in their 12-month postpartum periods, 19.5% were experiencing varying degrees of urinary incontinence. While 42.2% of the women suffered from stress incontinence, 10.3% had urge incontinence, 47.5% complained of a mixed type of urinary incontinence, 7.3% reported leakage of urine during sexual intercourse and 14.4% reported the need to use protective pads. It was found that 12.3% of the women were performing pelvic floor muscle exercises and only 15.2% had consulted their doctors about urinary incontinence. Conclusion: It was seen that urinary incontinence is a serious health problem in the postpartum period, that it disrupts a woman’s daily activities, affects her sex life but that despite this, women do not receive needed medical assistance.

Prevalence of Urinary Incontinence During Pregnancy and Associated Risk Factors

“…In the literature, it is remarkable that the results of the studies investigating the correlation between big baby birth and UI are contradictory. While a correlation was found between big baby birth and UI in some studies, no significant correlation was found in some other studies similar to results of the present study …”

Lower urinary tract symptoms 7 years after the first delivery: Correlation to the mode of delivery

“…After childbirth, the reported prevalence of LUTS declines rapidly within 6 months. Numerous risk factors for postpartum LUTS have been widely studied; however, most studies investigating the relationship between pregnancy/delivery and LUTS have follow‐up periods of ≤1 year . The long‐term persistence of LUTS following childbirth, however, is not well documented.…”

Incontinência urinária autorreferida no pós-parto: características clínicas

“…The results showed that the percentage of women who claimed experiencing urinary incontinence, during the postpartum period, was higher compared to the studies conducted in Denmark (23.4%) (10) , Italy (20.3%) (13) and Turkey (19.5%) (20) .…”