The association of urinary incontinence and disability among a diverse sample of midlife Study of Women’s Across the Nation women

Abstract

Objective The aim of the study is to examine whether urinary incontinence (UI) type, frequency, and amount are associated with self-reported disability in a racially/ethnically diverse cohort of community-dwelling midlife women. Methods Data were from longitudinal analyses of questionnaires from the multicenter, prospective cohort Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN). We used multivariable ordinal logistic regression to examine whether urinary incontinence type, frequency, and amount at the 13th follow-up were associated with the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule at the 15th follow-up controlling for other factors (menopause status, body mass index, lifestyle and psychosocial factors, and disability at follow-up 13). Results Urinary incontinence was associated with subsequent reports of disability in participants, particularly in the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule domains of mobility (P < 0.0001), communication (P = 0.0057), and life activities (P = 0.0407). Associations were strongest for mixed UI type compared with stress UI or urgency UI (odds ratio [OR] = 1.66, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.26-2.17, P < 0.001), daily frequency of UI compared with monthly or less than weekly frequency of UI (OR = 1.61, 95% CI = 1.04-2.47, P < 0.001), and larger amounts of urine leakage compared with drops of leakage (OR = 2.98, 95% CI = 1.58-5.62, P < 0.0001) for mobility/getting around domain. Conclusions Urinary incontinence seems to have a strong association with multiple domains of disability, including mobility and interacting with others, after approximately 3.7 years. Thus, UI may be an important factor limiting social engagement among women. Screening for mixed UI and UI that occurs greater than weekly and in amounts requiring pads may yield better information regarding an individual's future disability risk and may preserve social interaction.

Sex‐specific independent risk factors of urinary incontinence in acute stroke patients: A multicentre registry‐based cohort study

“…The findings of an association between age, stroke severity and intracranial hemorrhage with UI in this study are consistent with those reported from previous studies 5,13,14 . The association between disability/frailty and UI has been demonstrated previously in non‐stroke individuals 18–20 . Our study of stroke patients, which is less well‐reported, strengthened this finding.…”