Urinary incontinence in women: prevalence rates, risk factors and impact on quality of life

Objectives: To determine the prevalence, risk factors of urinary incontinence (UI) and to assess its impact on the quality of women’s life. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed 1050 female participants aged between 20-80 years. A questionnaire form, including the socio-demographic characteristics and risk factors and the "International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form" were used for the data collection. Results: The mean age of women was 48.80±11.53 years. The prevalence of UI was 44.6%. The distribution of the types of UI was 31% stress incontinence, 47.4% urge, and 33.1% mixed type. Although 95.5% of the women reported a negative impact on the quality of life, admission to a health center was only 63.9%, and 64.7% of the women had not received any medical help. The statistical analysis revealed that menopause, constipation, hypertension, diabetes, family history and parity are associated with UI as risk factors. Conclusion: We suggest that in the early diagnosis and treatment of urinary incontinence (UI), mental, educational and psychosocial support should be given to patients together with medical therapy.