Risk factors for urinary incontinence among Istanbul women: a hospital based case-control study

Abstract

Aim: The study aimed to identify risk factors for urinary incontinence in women over 20 years of age in Istanbul. Design: The study was designed as a descriptive, retrospective, case control study. Methods: The study was conducted in a urogynecological unit at a university hospital in Istanbul. In total, 367 incontinent women who visited the urogynecological unit, and 401 continent women who visited outpatient clinics with other gynecological symptoms were included. Data were gathered via face-to-face interviews, using a questionnaire on risk factors for urinary incontinence. Adjusted odds ratios were given using logistic regression. Results: Variables which were found to be significantly different in chi-square analysis for urinary incontinence were age, education, marital status, number of pregnancies, birth and curettage, characteristics of first vaginal delivery (delivery mode, place, interventions), menopause, hormone therapy, history of gynecological operation, pulmonary disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, medicine use, constipation, flatus, hemorrhoids, herniated disc/varicose veins, stria during pregnancy, caffeine > 2 cups/day, body mass index (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m 2 ), weight gain ≥ 10 kg, fecal incontinence, and history of urinary incontinence in childhood, in patients' mothers and relatives. When these variables were assessed in multivariate logistic regression analysis, number of births ("1-birth" OR = 38.8; CI = 2.2-669.5; "2-births" OR = 20.1; CI = 1.2-327.4; "≥ 3-births" OR = 35.0; CI = 1.9-621.8), BMI ≥ 25 kg/m 2 (OR = 7.2; CI = 2.1-24.1), and history of incontinence in mothers (OR = 7.2; CI = 1.3-37.2) were identified as significant risk factors. Conclusion: The main risk factors for urinary incontinence in the population under study were identified to be the number of births as an obstetric risk factor, obesity as a lifestyle factor, and 'incontinence in mothers' as a familial factor.

The prevalence of urinary incontinence and risk factors in menopausal women in Turkey: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

“…Basak et al 53 stated in their review that the prevalence of UI in Turkish women ranged from 16.4% to 49.7%. The prevalence of UI was reported to be 30.1% in women aged over 40 years by Yagmur and Gul, 54 50.3% in women aged 18–85 years by Demir et al, 55 and 47.8% in women aged over 20 years by Beji et al 56 Consistent with the results of the present study, evidence in the literature as shown above suggests that UI is common among women. Differences in the prevalence between countries and between studies can be attributed to cultural features affecting disease notifications by patients, reluctance or shyness of women and methodological factors affecting investigation of UI.…”

“…However, diabetes was also shown to be a risk factor in many other studies 54,55,60,61 which is congruent with the finding of the present study. A study conducted by Beji et al, 56 in Turkey underlined the number of births, obesity and history of UI in one's mother as the most important risk factors of UI. Another study carried out in Turkey showed that giving birth to a high-birth-weight baby, early menarche, menopause, constipation, coffee consumption, lumbar disc herniation, familial history of UI and repeated urinary tract infections are risk factors of all types of UI.…”