Revista Brasileira de Geriatria e Gerontologia (Aug 2018)

Prevalence of urinary incontinence among the elderly and relationship with physical and mental health indicators

  • Marciane Kessler,
  • Luiz Augusto Facchini,
  • Mariangela Uhlmann Soares,
  • Bruno Pereira Nunes,
  • Sandra Mattos França,
  • Elaine Thumé

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1590/1981-22562018021.180015
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 21, no. 4
pp. 397 – 407

Abstract

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Abstract Objective: to verify the prevalence of urinary incontinence and its relationship with physical and mental health indicators in the elderly population of Bagé, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Method: a cross-sectional population-based study was conducted in 2008 with 1,593 elderly persons. Poisson regression was used for crude and adjusted analysis between the outcomes and the independent variables. Results: the prevalence of urinary incontinence was 20.7%, being 26.9% among women and 10.3% among men. The associated factors were female gender, age 70 to 74 and 75 years or over, yellow/brown/indigenous ethnicity/skin color and no schooling. The prevalence of functional disability, depression, cognitive deficit and very poor/poor self-perception of health was significantly higher in women with urinary incontinence. Among incontinent men, the same was observed with regard to functional disability and cognitive deficit. Conclusion: the occurrence of urinary incontinence in the elderly is frequent, especially in women, with a significant relationship with physical and mental health conditions in the elderly population. These results support the development of care strategies to prevent incontinence and minimize its health impacts.

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