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Quality of life in women with stress urinary incontinence

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Abstract

The objective of this study was to identify clinical and demographic factors associated with incontinence-related quality of life (QoL) in 655 women with stress urinary incontinence who elected surgical treatment. The following factors were examined for their association with QoL as measured with the Incontinence Impact Questionnaire (IIQ): number of incontinence (UI) episodes/day; self-reported type of UI symptoms (stress and urge); sexual function as measured by the Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire; symptom bother as measured by the Urogenital Distress Inventory; as well as other clinical and sociodemographic factors. A stepwise least-squares regression analysis was used to identify factors significantly associated with QoL. Lower QoL was related to the greater frequency of stress UI symptoms, increasing severity, greater symptom bother, prior UI surgery or treatment, and sexual dysfunction (if sexually active). Health and sociodemographic factors associated with lower incontinence-related QoL included current tobacco use, younger age, lower socioeconomic status, and Hispanic ethnicity.

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Acknowledgments

UITN STEERING COMMITTEE: William Steers, M.D., Chair (University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA); Ananias C. Diokno, M.D. (William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, MI: U01 DK58231); Salil Khandwala, M.D., Veronica Mallett, M.D. (Oakwood Hospital, Dearborn, MI: U01 DK58231); Linda Brubaker, M.D., Mary Pat FitzGerald, M.D. (Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL: U01 DK60379); Holly E. Richter, Ph.D., M.D., L. Keith Lloyd, M.D. (University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL: U01 DK60380); Michael Albo, M.D., Charles Nager, M.D. (University of California, San Diego, CA: U01 DK60401); Toby Chai, M.D., Harry W. Johnson, M.D. (University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD: U01 DK60397); Halina M. Zyczynski, M.D., Wendy Leng, M.D. (University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA: U01 DK 58225); Philippe Zimmern, M.D., Gary Lemack, M.D. (University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, TX: U01 DK60395); Stephen Kraus, M.D., Thomas Rozanski, M.D. (University of Texas Health Sciences Center, San Antonio, TX: U01 DK58234); Peggy Norton, M.D., Lindsey Kerr, M.D. (University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT: U01 DK60393); Sharon Tennstedt, Ph.D., Anne Stoddard, Sc.D. (New England Research Institutes, Watertown, MA: U01 DK58229); John W. Kusek, Ph.D., Leroy M. Nyberg, M.D., Ph.D., Debuene Chang M.D. (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases); Anne M. Weber, M.D. (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. New England Research Institutes, 9 Galen Street, Watertown, MA, 02472, USA

    Sharon L. Tennstedt & Yan Xu

  2. Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, IL, USA

    Mary Pat Fitzgerald

  3. University of California at San Diego Medical Center, San Diego, CA, USA

    Charles W. Nager

  4. University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA

    Philippe Zimmern

  5. University of Texas Health Sciences Center, San Antonio, TX, USA

    Stephen Kraus

  6. Birmingham VA Medical Center, Birmingham, AL, USA

    Patricia S. Goode

  7. University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA

    Patricia S. Goode

  8. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA

    John W. Kusek

  9. Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Diane Borello-France

  10. University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA

    Veronica Mallett

Authors
  1. Sharon L. Tennstedt
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  2. Mary Pat Fitzgerald
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  3. Charles W. Nager
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  4. Yan Xu
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  5. Philippe Zimmern
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  6. Stephen Kraus
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  7. Patricia S. Goode
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  8. John W. Kusek
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  9. Diane Borello-France
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  10. Veronica Mallett
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Urinary Incontinence Treatment Network

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sharon L. Tennstedt.

Additional information

Supported by cooperative agreements from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, with additional support from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the Office of Research on Women’s Health, National Institutes of Health.

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Tennstedt, S.L., Fitzgerald, M.P., Nager, C.W. et al. Quality of life in women with stress urinary incontinence. Int Urogynecol J 18, 543–549 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-006-0188-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-006-0188-5

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