The Prevalence, Type, And Risk Factors of Urinary Incontinence in Married Women and Its Effect on Their Quality of Life

Urinary incontinence (UI) is involuntary urinary leakage. This condition causes physical, psycho-social, and economic problems.1 It is more prevalent in women than in men. It occurs in women during pregnancy, childbirth, or menopause. It can also be triggered by factors such as advanced age, diabetes mellitus, chronic urinary infections, hysterectomy, and obesity.2,3 While urinary incontinence is not a life-threatening condition, it significantly impacts the quality of life for women. It leads to social phobia, social isolation, reduced self-confidence and self-esteem, embarrassment, psychological issues, as well as individual and societal costs.2-4 Urinary incontinence represents a growing burden in numerous countries.5 (Milsom et al., 2014).

Urinary incontinence constitutes a significant public health issue when considering the global female population, their participation in the workforce, and their role in social life.6 Urinary incontinence afflicts more than 40% of women worldwide.7 (Liu et al., 2014). The prevalence of UI is 48.3%, 46.4%, 31.9%, and 18.7% in women over 18 years of age living in Germany, Denmark, China, and Norway, respectively.8-10 The prevalence of UI is 23.6% in women aged 45-60 years living in Brazil.11 The prevalence of UI ranges from 16.4% and 49.7 in Turkish women.12 The projected number of women with UI in the United States is expected to reach 28.4 million by 2050.13 Investigators believe that the prevalence of UI may be underestimated because many women either seek healthcare assistance late or not at all due to perceiving it as a natural consequence of aging or childbirth or because they feel embarrassed about the issue. Furthermore, only a small fraction of women who are diagnosed with UI receive effective treatment.2,3,14 More than half of women with UI (66.4%) take approximately three years to seek medical assistance due to fears of stigmatization and a lack of information about treatment.4,15 The treatment and care for UI necessitate a multidisciplinary approach due to the complexity of the condition and the various issues it involves. However, before women are willing to seek medical assistance for UI, they must first recognize it as a medical issue. Hence, it is essential to develop a comprehensive understanding of UI, raise awareness among women about the condition, and provide ongoing support for those affected by it. By taking these steps, we can effectively manage and prevent this condition, as well as create opportunities for early diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, this study investigated the prevalence, type, and risk factors of UI in married women and its effect on their quality of life.