Urinary incontinence among Turkish women: an outpatient study of prevalence, risk factors, and quality of life

Prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms in nurses and civil servants working at a hospital: a cross-sectional study

Background

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are common in women and can interrupt daily living activities of the individuals. The study aimed at determining the LUTS prevalence and the influencing factors in nurses and civil servants working at a hospital.

Methods

This cross-sectional and descriptive study was conducted with 158 female nurses and 105 female civil servants. The data were obtained with a data collection form and the Bristol Female Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms-Short Form.

Results

This paper exposes that the prevalence of at least one LUTS was 94.2% in nurses and 97.1% in civil servants. The most common LUTS symptoms of nurses and civil servants were urgency (60.1% nurses, 81.9% civil servants) and urge incontinence (59.5% nurses, 81.9% civil servants). Nurses (60.8%) expressed significantly higher rates of having inadequate time going to the toilet due to their work conditions compared to the civil servants (41.9%) (p<0.05). BFLUTS-SF scores in terms of age, BMI, parity, having cesarean and vaginal delivery and urinary incontinence in their previous pregnancies were compared between two groups, statistically significant differences were found (p<0.05).

Conclusion

Workplace conditions of the health workers should be reorganizing to have healthy urinary habits for preventing them from the development of LUTS.

Prevalence and determinants of non-fistulous urinary incontinence among Ghanaian women seeking gynaecologic care at a teaching hospital

The study assessed the prevalence and determinants of non-fistulous urinary incontinence among gynaecologic care seekers as well as its interference with everyday life activities of affected women. A cross-sectional study involving 400 women was conducted in a tertiary facility in Ghana. Urinary incontinence was assessed using the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-short form (ICIQ-SF) which has not been validated locally. The questionnaire was administered mostly in the Asante Twi language with translation done at the time of the interview. The data was analysed for proportions and associations between selected variables. The prevalence of urinary incontinence was 12%, the common types being urgency (33.3%), stress (22.9%), and mixed (20.8%). Age ≥60 years compared to 18–39 years (OR 3.66 95%CI 1.48–9.00 P = 0.005), and a history of chronic cough (OR 3.80 95% CI 1.36–10.58 P = 0.01) were associated with urinary incontinence. Women with education beyond the basic level were 72% less likely to experience urinary incontinence (OR 0.28 95%CI 0.08–0.96 P = 0.04). Urinary incontinence interferes with everyday life activities of most affected women. Non-fistulous urinary incontinence is relatively common among gynaecologic care seekers yet very few women were referred with such a diagnosis. Advocacy measures aimed at urging affected women to report the condition and educating the general population on potential causes, prevention and treatment are needed.

Factors affecting doctor visits of postmenopausal women with urinary incontinence

OBJECTIVE

This study analyzed the reasons for avoiding visiting a doctor among women aged ≥50 years with urinary incontinence (UI), as well as factors influencing visits to the doctor.

METHODS

In all, 402 women aged ≥50 years who were enrolled in Bursa healthcare centers, 150 with UI and 252 without UI, participated in the study. This study was conducted between January 2018 and August 2018. Participants were asked to complete the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire - Short Form (ICIQ-SF) questionnaire. Quality of life was evaluated using the Incontinence Impact Questionnaire, Short Form (IIQ-7) questionnaire.

RESULTS

The prevalence of UI was 37%. Of the women with UI, 52 (34.67%) visited a doctor for complaints. The most frequent reason for seeing a doctor because of UI was that it had started to affect activities of daily living. The most frequent reason for avoiding visiting a doctor was the belief that UI was normal. Scores on the ICIQ-SF were higher among women who visited a doctor. Physical activity, social relationships, and mental health scores on the IIQ-7 were also higher among patients who visited a doctor.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients who suffer from severe UI and whose quality of life is affected more negatively are more likely to visit a doctor. Women who believe that UI is normal are less likely to visit a doctor. Awareness about UI should be increased in order to increase the rate of visiting a doctor for this condition.

Prevalence, risk factors and quality of life in Turkish women with urinary incontinence: a synthesis of the literature

BACKGROUND

Urinary incontinence (UI) is not a life threatening condition but it adversely affects physical and mental health, sexual function and quality of life in women.

AIM

To review the related literature to identify prevalence, risk factors and quality of life among only Turkish women.

METHODS

Computerized searches on PubMed, Turkish Medline, EBSCO Host; articles from indexed journals related to the topics in this review and published between 1996 and 30 April 2012 were evaluated. After completion of database searches, a final total of 20 studies were identified that fitted the inclusion criteria.

RESULTS

This review revealed that the prevalence of UI among Turkish women was reported by 16 studies ranged from 16.4% to 49.7%. The most common risk factors were age, number of births, body mass index > 25 kg/m(2), recurrent urinary infection, diabetes mellitus and vaginal delivery. The effect of UI on the quality of life was mild to moderate.

CONCLUSIONS

We found that the prevalence of UI of Turkish women showed a wide range. It is important for health professionals to be aware of the high prevalence of UI in women and to ask about its possible presence. Improving the quality of life in women with UI is an important issue and nurses should direct women to seek psychosocial support. The findings of this review could serve as a source of information for health systems that deal with UI, and it may help to inform health professionals and women with UI on early diagnosis, treatment and management.