Role of Gender in the Quality of Life and Functional Status in Stroke Patients with Urinary Incontinence.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the role of gender in the impact of urinary continence (UI) on the quality of life and physical functioning in stroke patients with UI. Methods: This study included 128 stroke patients (64 male, 64 female) with UI and was conducted in the inpatient and outpatient clinics of a public rehabilitation hospital in June,July, and August 2018. Patients were asked to fill a structured questionnaire for colllection of demographic data and incontinence properties, SF-36 for evaluation of quality of life, and Barthel Index for evaluation of functional capacity. Results: Mean ages of the male and female patients included in the study were 62±15.33 and 58.77±16.10 years, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between genders for UI frequency, urine quantity, materials used for UI, and application to an healthcare institute for UI (p>0.05). Use of sanitary pads for UI was associated with decreased quality of life (p<0.05). There was a statistically significant difference between UI frequency and the "Physical Health" and "Mental Health" subdimension scores of SF-36 (p<0.05). Conclusion: Independent of gender, UI negatively affects the quality of life and social, work, and family life in stroke patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]