Prevalence and impact of female urinary incontinence on quality of life

Abstract

Objectives: Urinary incontinence is a health problem with many negative effects on the quality of life of women. It is often under-diagnosed and untreated. This is a study of the prevalence of urinary incontinence, its impact on quality of life, and its association with demographic factors. Study Design: analytical cross-sectional Setting: The family health units of the authors Participants: A sample of 1918 women over age 40 Methods: The variables studied were age, marital status, education, body mass index, number of children, type of incontinence, duration, referral the problem to the doctor and treatment. The impact on quality of life was assessed using the CONTILIFE© questionnaire. The level of significance was set at (p < 0,05). Results: Of the 1291 women responding (mean age 60 years), 23% had urinary incontinence. Their quality of life score was 6.7 points out of a possible 10. The impact on quality of life increases (p < 0.05) with illiteracy, body mass index, and the number of births. 38% of women with urinary incontinence have addressed this issue with their doctor. 66% received either drug treatment or referral. Reporting the problem to the family doctor was associated with greater impact of incontinence on quality of life. (p< 0,001) Conclusions: This study found a high prevalence of urinary incontinence in this population with significant impact on quality of life. Only one third of women with urinary incontinence addressed this problem with their doctor and two thirds of these women received drug treatment or referral.