Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2008 Feb;100(2):171-4.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijgo.2007.08.013. Epub 2007 Oct 31.

Prevalence of and attitude toward urinary incontinence in postmenopausal women

Affiliations

Prevalence of and attitude toward urinary incontinence in postmenopausal women

Ching-Hung Hsieh et al. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2008 Feb.

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of urinary incontinence, and the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Taiwanese women aged 60 years or older.

Method: A nationwide epidemiological study was conducted and a sample of 2410 women was selected. Personal visits to 1517 women were completed.

Results: A total of 485 (29.8%) women reported urinary incontinence; 250 (69.9%) urinary incontinent women experienced symptoms less than once a month. Regarding knowledge, attitudes, and practices, 822 (54.3%) of the women surveyed knew the meaning of urinary incontinence, and 147 (30.3%) with urinary incontinence had visited a doctor. The main reason given for not seeking medical help was shyness.

Conclusion: Although urinary incontinence is a common symptom, it is often not reported to doctors, which leads to undertreatment. From a public health perspective, there is considerable opportunity to improve women's quality of life by increasing health education about urinary incontinence and its treatment.

PubMed Disclaimer