Urinary symptoms, falls and fear of falling in older people with cognitive impairment

Abstract

Introduction:

Among geriatric syndromes, cognitive impairment, urinary incontinence, nocturia, and falls stand out. Older adults with urinary incontinence are more prone to falls and exhibit fear of falling.

Objective:

To investigate the frequency of urinary incontinence and nocturia and evaluate the association of these variables with falls and fear of falling in older individuals with cognitive impairment.

Methods:

Cross-sectional study with older adults referred from Basic Health Units with cognitive impairment evaluated between 2019 and 2021. Information on urinary incontinence, nocturia, history of falls, and fear of falling provided by the participants and their caregivers was collected. Data were analyzed using Chi-square tests and univariate logistic regressions.

Results:

Data from 89 older adults were analyzed, of whom 58.4% had urinary incontinence, 28.1% had nocturia, 67.4% reported fear of falling, and 41.6% reported falls in the last six months. The group with urinary incontinence [χ²(1) = 5.147; p = 0.023] and the group with nocturia [χ²(1) = 4.353; p = 0.037] had significantly higher frequencies of fear of falling. No differences in the frequencies of history of falls were observed between individuals with and without urinary incontinence or nocturia (p > 0.05). Fear of falling was associated with urinary incontinence (OR = 2.833; 95% CI 1.137 – 7.062) and nocturia (OR = 3.365; 95% CI 1.033 – 10.966).

Conclusion:

Older adults with cognitive impairment have a high frequency of urinary incontinence, nocturia, falls, and fear of falling. Furthermore, there is an association between urinary incontinence, nocturia and fear of falling in this population.

Keywords:
Accident prevention; Health of the Elderly; Accidental falls; Nocturia; Urinary incontinence