RISK FACTORS FOR URINARY INCONTINENCE IN WOMEN

Abstract

Urinary incontinence is defined as involuntary loss of urine. The most common types of urinary incontinence are: stress, urgent and mixed urinary incontinence. The aim of the study was to detect potential risk factors for urinary incontinence in women. The study is a retrospective cohort study. Material is represented by 192 patients aged 20 to 80 years, divided into two groups: examined and control. The study was conducted in the approach from September 2019 to February 2020 at the Department of Urogynecology of the University Clinic for Gynecology and Obstetrics in Skopje. In all women we performed: urinary status with urinary sediment, urine culture, cystoscopy, ultrasound, urodynamic tests, Marshall's tests, questionnaire containing questions on the risk factors of urinary incontinence and the International Consultation on Incontinence Modular Questionnaire Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ-UI SF). Stress incontinence was detected in 40.8% of women, urgent incontinence in 32.2% of women, and mixed urinary incontinence in 27.0% of women. Data analysis showed an association between urinary incontinence and patients over sixty years of age (chi-square test = 4.9377, p = 0.0262, p<0.05, with a relative risk of 2.29); patients with a body mass index above 35 (chi-square test = 5.2667, p = 0.0127, p<0.05, with a relative risk of 2.59; vaginal delivery (chi-square test = 5.7351, p = 0.0166, p<0.05, with a relative risk of 2.18); multiparity (chi-square test = 17.0288, p = 0.0001, p<0.05, with a relative risk of 4, 05); macrosomia (chi-square test = 5.5385, p = 0.0186, p<0.05 with a relative risk of 3.00); postmenopause (chi-square test = 4.7643, p = 0.0291 , p˂0.05, with a relative risk of 2.14); cigarette smoking (chi-square test = 8.1702, p = 0.0043, p˂0.05, with a relative risk of 2.45) and drinking alcohol (chi-square test = 4.1739, p = 0.0411, p<0.05, with a relative risk of 2.11). Our study found that age 60, obesity, vaginal delivery, multiparity, macrosomia, postmenopausal period, cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption are potential risk factors for urinary incontinence in women.