Prevalence of urinary incontinence among women at a Swedish primary health care centre

Abstract

Information on urinary incontinence was obtained by means of a questionnaire from women visiting a Swedish health centre. Among women aged 18 and above, 44% stated that they had urinary incontinence. About one-third of these women reported stress incontinence, one-third urge incontinence, and one-third both. Urinary incontinence was more prevalent with increasing age and was more common among women who had given birth to children, in overweight women, in women taking diuretics, and in women with some defined diseases. Of those with incontinence, 13% stated that it impaired their work and 28% that it impaired leisure activities. Many of them had not asked for medical help for the symptom. It is important to emphasize the high prevalence of the symptom, and even more important to increase our knowledge of how best to take care of these women.