Publication:

Prevalence of urinary incontinence in reproductive women and its impact on quality of life

Background Urogenital problems are more common in the female population. Among them urinary incontinence is a common problem. It has significant impact on the physical, psychological and socio-economic aspects of life. The aim of our study is to estimate the proportion of women with urinary incontinence in reproductive age groups and to assess the impact of urinary incontinence on quality of life.

Methods This cross sectional study was conducted among 404 women aged between 20 - 45 years. Following data such as socio-demographic characteristics, urinary symptoms and obstetric history, height and weight measurements were recorded. Among those with incontinence, King’s Health Questionnaire was used to evaluate severity of affection.

Results The prevalence of urinary incontinence was 34.1% in our study. Out of them 73.2% had mild incontinence, 19.6% had moderate incontinence and 7.2% had severe incontinence.  Those with urinary incontinence had significantly more amount of health affection than those without incontinence (X2 value – 152, P value – 0.000). In those with moderate incontinence, > 95% had physical activity limitation and social limitation. In those with severe incontinence, 90% had physical activity restriction, social limitation, emotional affection and sleep deprivation.

Conclusions The prevalence of urinary incontinence was 34.1%. Urinary incontinence had higher impact on emotional and social well-being. Awareness has to be created about available treatment options among women.