Prevalence, Affecting Factors, and Impact of Urinary Incontinence on Quality of Life

Background: Urinary incontinence is an important problem that is frequently seen in women and affects women’s health physically, psychologically, and socially and reduces women’s quality of life.

Aim: This study was carried out to determine the incidence of urinary incontinence in women, its affecting factors, and its effect on quality of life.

Methods: This study was conducted descriptively and cross-sectionally in the gynecology polyclinic of a university hospital in Izmir. The sample of the study consisted of 304 volunteer women living with urinary incontinence. The data were collected with urinary incontinence form, individual description form, and urinary incontinence quality of life scale. The number and percentage distributions, means, standard deviation, t-test, and one-way analysis of variance were used to analyze the data.

Results: The mean age of the women was 47.61 ± 11.43, 27% of them had stress, 35.2% of urgency, and 37.8% of mixed urinary incontinence. The majority of women experience urinary incontinence 1-2 times a day (42.4%) and for 1-2 years (33.2%). The mean total score of women urinary incontinence quality of life scale was 79.57 ± 15.05 and the mean of the total scores obtained from the subscales was as follows: behavioral restriction was 27.03 ± 5.86, psychological effect was 36.14 ± 6.50, and restriction of social life was 16.39 ± 3.97. A statistically significant difference was found between urinary incontinence quality of life scale total score means of women and some factors affecting women’s urinary incontinence (urgency and mixed urinary incontinence, duration, and frequency of urinary incontinence and such) (P <.05).

Conclusion: In the study, it was determined that all types of urinary incontinence are seen in one-third of women, are affected by many factors, and cause deterioration in the quality of life. Nurses should inquire urinary incontinence, which is frequently seen in women, know the factors affecting urinary incontinence, and screen women of all age groups. Thus, nurses will be able to take preventive measures regarding urinary incontinence, determine the factors affecting urinary incontinence, and provide necessary training and counseling by identifying risky women.