Abstract
Purpose
Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common condition in women. The aim of this study is to analyze women with self-reported UI, focusing on socio-demographic data, health-related conditions and comorbidities, and their impact on healthcare resources.
Methods
We analyzed data from a population-based survey with a representative sample of Portuguese women aged ≥ 18 years (n = 10,465). Women with self-reported symptoms of UI were distributed according to age, education level, and household income. The comparison of comorbidities and use of healthcare resources between the UI and non-UI groups was adjusted for age, education, and body mass index. We computed weighted prevalence and adjusted prevalence ratios with 95% confidence intervals using Poisson regression.
Results
Female UI prevalence was 9.9%, increasing with age (6.3% for 18- to 39-year-old, 40.8% for 75- to 85-year-old women). The prevalence decreased with education level (36.8% in women with no education, 4.6% in women with more than 12 years of education) and household income (29.8% in the 2nd quintile of income, 9.9% in the 5th quintile). Women with UI had a higher level of comorbidities, especially cardiovascular, respiratory, and mental health disorders. UI was also associated with higher consumption of healthcare resources.
Conclusion
UI is highly prevalent among Portuguese women. It increases with age, low education level, and low household income. The use of healthcare resources was higher, possibly related with associated comorbidities. Though obtained in a single European country, these data may be useful to design a comprehensive management of UI in other parts of the western world.
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Margarida Manso contributed to data analysis and manuscript writing. Francisco Botelho performed data analysis. Cláudia Bulhões was responsible for project development and data collection. Francisco Cruz wrote the manuscript. Luís Pacheco-Figueiredo was involved in project development and data analysis.
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The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose. There is no funding to declare.
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This survey was approved by ethics committee, and all subjects provided signed informed consent.
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Manso, M., Botelho, F., Bulhões, C. et al. Self-reported urinary incontinence in women is higher with increased age, lower educational level, lower income, number of comorbidities, and impairment of mental health. Results of a large, population-based, national survey in Portugal. World J Urol 41, 3657–3662 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00345-023-04677-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00345-023-04677-5