Urinary incontinence in patients receiving medical care in selected health service facilities in the Łódź region, Poland

Abstract

Introduction and objective Female physiological urinary incontinence may occur in the reproductive age, but the incidence of uncontrolled urination increases in the postmenopausal period. Urinary incontinence is playing an increasingly important social and economic role. In recent years, there has been a marked increase in the number of patients affected by incontinence symptoms presenting to the doctor due to urinary tract diseases. The main aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of urinary incontinence among patients receiving medical care in selected institutions located in the Łódz region of Poland, and factors increasing risk of the disease. Material and methods The study was conducted between January – September 2021 among women receiving health care in selected facilities in the Łódż region. The study was conducted with the use of the authors’ original, anonymous survey questionnaire consisting of 43 questions. The patients were asked to complete the survey questionnaire while waiting for an appointment at the doctor’s surgery. Completed survey questionnaires were returned by 117 women. Results Of the 117 interviewed women, the majority, i.e. 63 people (53.9%), admitted that they had noticed the problem of incontinence. Of these 63 women, the largest number, i.e. 25 (f=0.4), admitted to losing urine 2–3 times a week. Conclusions In view of the high prevalence of urinary incontinence among the studied women, there is a need to take action to disseminate knowledge about risk factors and methods of prevention of incontinence.

Keywords

• urinary incontinence
• quality of life