The impact of urinary incontinence and their associated factors in elderly women

OBJECTIVE:

Identify the prevalence of urinary incontinence (UI) and associated factors in elderly women of the community.

METHODS:

Cross-sectional study in which elderly women aged 60 or more who attended a center dedicated exclusively to elderly in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, were interviewed. The instruments used were the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire - Short Form (ICIQ-SF) and a questionnaire with additional information on associated factors for urinary incontinence. Besides descriptive statistics, Student's t test was used to compare the means of quantitative variables.

RESULTS:

The study evaluated 132 elderly women aged 60-91 years with mean age of 68.56 years (SD±6.24). Regarding urine loss, the prevalence found was 40.91% (95% IC = 32.6-49.2). Of all women interviewed it was found a body mass index (BMI) of 25.7 kg/m² (SD±4,06), and among elderly women considered incontinent, 59.2% had BMI ≥ 27kg/m², that is, overweight.

CONCLUSIONS:

The prevalence of UI (40.91%) found is within the registered parameters for this age group. Other relevant data is that the number of pregnancies increased UI, and elderly women with three or more pregnancies were proportionally more affected. The UI impact on the quality of life was considered absent or mild by most elderly women, probably showing that UI was in initial stage and did not interfere significantly in the everyday life of those women. It is still worth highlighting that early diagnosis allows appropriate treatment in a timely manner, avoiding major compromises and improving the quality of life.

Urinary Incontinence; Women's Health; Quality of Life; Aging; Public Health