1. Prevalence of urinary incontinence in young and middle-aged women in an Italian urban area
- Author
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R. Pregazzi, G. D'Aloia, Paolo Di Benedetto, Andrea Sartore, Emanuele Belgrano, Salvatore Siracusano, Valentina Pecorari, Giovanni Pappagallo, Secondo Guaschino, Siracusano, Salvatore, R., Pregazzi, G., D'Aloia, A., Sartore, P. D., Benedetto, V., Pecorari, Guaschino, Secondo, G., Pappagallo, and Belgrano, Emanuele
- Subjects
Adolescent, Adult, Exercise, Female, Humans, Italy ,epidemiology, Middle Aged, Questionnaires, Urban Population, Urinary Incontinence ,epidemiology/etiology ,Questionnaires ,Adult ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Pediatrics ,Adolescent ,Urban Population ,Epidemiology ,Urinary system ,Female urinary incontinence ,Urinary incontinence ,Reproductive age ,Enuresis ,Surveys and Questionnaires ,medicine ,Humans ,Young adult ,Exercise ,Gynecology ,business.industry ,Obstetrics and Gynecology ,Middle Aged ,Middle age ,Sexual intercourse ,Urinary Incontinence ,Reproductive Medicine ,Italy ,Anxiety ,Female ,medicine.symptom ,business - Abstract
To investigate by questionnaire the prevalence and characteristics of urinary incontinence (UI) in a female population aged between 18 and 49.Of 44,095 females aged 18-49.9 living in our urban area a sample of 10,000 subjects was sent a questionnaire and 3557 replied. The age-based analysis was performed on 2900 of these.The overall prevalence of UI was 20\%. 11\% had suffered from nocturnal enuresis before 18 years old, 47\% of parous women noted a relationship between the beginning of UI and delivery. Among the incontinent women 83\% lost urine with physical exertion, and 44\% had urge incontinence, 18\% used diapers, 20\% had consulted a physician and half of these had been referred for medical, surgical or rehabilitative therapy, 50\% reported past or present urinary infections, 8\% complained also of faecal incontinence, 22\% considered loss of urine embarrassing and humiliating but only 6\% revealed frustration and 2\% were obliged to stay at home for long periods of time. Of the incontinents 62\% defined themselves anxious or nervous and 22\% of these ascribed an increase of urinary leakage to anxiety or to nervousness, 9\% reported use of antidepressant drugs, 85\% had sexual intercourse and only 2\% considered UI as an impediment to a satisfying sexual activity.UI is a common problem in young women. Urge incontinence seems to be prevalent in
- Published
- 2003