Urinary incontinence among Muslim women in Israel: risk factors and help-seeking behavior

Prevalence of Urinary Incontinence Among University Students and Associated Factors

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS

Urinary incontinence can occur during university years, just as at other stages of life. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of urinary incontinence and related factors in university students.

METHODS

The cross-sectional research involved 293 students enrolled in the faculty of health sciences at a public institution. Data were collected using an information form, the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Short Form, the King's Health Survey, the Physical Activity Scale- 2, and the Childhood Trauma Scale. Descriptive statistics, the Mann-Whitney U test for pairwise group comparisons, the Kruskal-Wallis test for three or more group comparisons, and the Spearman correlation test were used to analyze data that did not follow a normal distribution.

RESULTS

The students' average age was 20.94 ± 1.70 years; 79.2% of them were female. It is observed that 98.6% of the students who were enrolled were single. 15.7% of the students reported that they frequently experienced urinary tract infections. 30% of the students had urinary incontinence problems; 21.1% were affected mildly, 8.2% moderately and 0.7% severely. It was found that the impact of urinary incontinence on quality of life varied based on students' personal characteristics and urinary problems. Various associations were identified between age, urinary incontinence symptoms, quality of life, physical activity levels, and childhood trauma.

CONCLUSIONS

Preventive interventions should be implemented to address urinary incontinence among university students, as it is a public health concern. To avert the onset of urinary incontinence, it is advisable to identify students experiencing this condition, assist them in enhancing their quality of life by addressing relevant factors, promote and motivate them toward physical activity, and implement preventive measures such as exercise programs and counseling.

The Concerns of Community-Dwelling Older Women Living with Urinary Incontinence: Qualitative Research

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS

The world including Iran is facing population aging. Urinary incontinence (UI) is one of the most common health concerns of older women that can be accompanied by an increased sense of loneliness, social restrictions, and disruption in activities of daily living in addition to the regular challenges of old age. This study was aimed at explaining the concerns of community-dwelling older women living with UI.

METHODS

This study used the conventional, qualitative, content analysis approach with purposive sampling. Twenty interviews were conducted with 18 participants, including 15 community-dwelling older women with UI and three family members (a husband and two daughters), over the span of 14 months (from August 2021 to October 2022). The data were collected via semi-structured, face-to-face interviews until data saturation was achieved, and were analyzed using Graneheim and Lundman's method.

RESULTS

The findings revealed that the concerns of older women with UI include the impasse of UI, being powerless in life, distorted social identity, and marital frustration, which fell under the main theme of sense of inadequacy.

CONCLUSIONS

Recognizing the concerns of older women with UI can make health care teams more sensitive to the importance of resolving these concerns and can offer some insight into how best to provide targeted training, support, and counseling services at individual, family, and society levels, to eventually resolve the older adult's sense of inadequacy.

Prevalence and Influencing Factors of Help-Seeking Behavior Among Women with Urinary Incontinence: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Purpose: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the mean (weighted) prevalence of help-seeking behavior among women with urinary incontinence (UI) in relevant subgroups and the related influencing factors. Materials and Methods: Six English and four Chinese databases were systematically searched between 1996 and July 10, 2022. Two researchers independently screened the literature, extracted data, and evaluated the quality of the included studies. All statistical analyses were conducted using RevMan 5.4. Results: The mean (weighted) prevalence of help-seeking behavior based on the 41 included studies, including a total of 32,640 women with UI, was 28% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 22%-34%). We performed a subgroup analysis based on UI type, population, region, publication time, case definition of help-seeking, and use of validated tools to determine UI. The results of the subgroup analysis showed that the pooled prevalence of help-seeking behavior was 23% (95% CI: 14%-32%) among pregnant and maternity women, 27% (95% CI: 19%-35%) among menopausal women, 24% (95% CI: 14%-35%) among 20- to 50-year-old women, 31% (95% CI: 25%-36%) among those older than 50 years, 24% (95% CI: 17%-30%) in Asia, and 33% (95% CI: 22%-44%) in Europe. Meanwhile, the pooled odds ratio showed that education level, UI type, UI severity, and quality of life significantly influenced help-seeking behavior among women with UI. Conclusions: This systematic review revealed that the pooled prevalence of help-seeking behaviors among women with UI is 28%. These influencing factors have important implications for adapting to health care and social care systems.

Help-seeking behavior for nonsevere stress urinary incontinence among elderly women in communities, Beijing, China

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a common health problem and influences women's quality of life significantly. In order to enhance health education according to a specific situation, it is essential to identify barriers to seeking help among elderly women with nonsevere SUI. The objectives were to investigate reasons for (not) seeking help for nonsevere SUI among women aged ≥60 years, and to analyze factors affecting help-seeking behavior.

METHODS

We enrolled 368 women aged ≥60 years with nonsevere SUI from communities. They were asked to filled out sociodemographic information, International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Short Form (ICIQ-SF), Incontinence Quality of Life (I-QOL), and self-constructed questiones on help-seeking behavior. Mann-Whitney U tests were used to analyze the different factors between seeking group and nonseeking group.

RESULTS

Only 28 women (7.61%) had ever sought help from health professionals for SUI. The most frequent reason for seeking help was urine-soaked clothes (67.86%, 19 out of 28). The most frequent reason for not seeking help was that women thought it was normal (67.35%, 229 out of 340). Compared with the nonseeking group, the seeking group had higher total ICIQ-SF scores and lower total I-QOL scores.

CONCLUSION

Among elderly women with nonsevere SUI, the rate of seeking help was low. Lack of correct perception about the SUI kept women from doctor visits. Women who were bothered by more severe SUI and lower quality of life were more likely to seek help.

The Experience of Women From Underrepresented Groups With Urinary Incontinence: A Systematic Review

INTRODUCTION

Urinary incontinence (UI) in women is a global public health issue. However, there is a limited understanding of the experience of women from underrepresented groups suffering from UI. The purpose of this systematic review was to examine current evidence regarding the experience of women with UI from these groups.

METHODOLOGY

A systematic search was undertaken to retrieve research studies that answered the research question. Four qualitative research studies were included. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guided this review.

RESULTS

Four themes emerged from this review: the perceived origin of UI, the physical, psychological, and social impact of UI, the impact of culture and religion on UI, and vice versa, and the interaction of women with health services.

DISCUSSION

Social determinants of health, such as religion and culture, need to be considered by professionals providing care if women from underrepresented groups experiencing UI are to receive optimal care.

Kerion of the pubis and vulva with bacterial superinfection: a rare occurrence

Kerion is a severe hypersensitivity reaction to fungal infection that is rarely seen in the groin. Frequent shaving of pubic hair and religious conservatism surrounding genital hygiene are common among Bedouin women in the Negev Desert, and may predispose to kerion. This case highlights the clinical course of a 20-year-old Bedouin woman who presented with severe kerion celsi of the pubis and vulva with secondary bacterial infection. The patient was successfully treated with intravenous antibiotics, oral antifungal medication and wet topical dressings. The case outlines the risk factors and treatment for severe kerion celsi of the groin, as well as possible preventive measures that may reduce its incidence.