Prevalence and risk factors of urinary incontinence for post-stroke inpatients in Southern China

Abstract

Aims: The prevalence and risk factors of urinary incontinence (UI) for post-stroke inpatients remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to investigate the risk factors associated with the development of UI for post-stroke inpatients in southern China.

Design: Cross-sectional survey.

Subjects and methods: A total of 711 post-stroke patients from neurological units at 8 different hospitals in Guangzhou, a city in southern China, were interviewed face to face. Data were collected by a self-designed questionnaire which includes sociodemographic variables, characteristics of stroke, and medical history.

Results: The prevalence of UI among post-stroke inpatients was 44.3%. By multivariate logistic regression, we found that major risk factors for UI included health care assistant care (OR = 3.935), hemorrhagic stroke (OR = 1.755), mixed stroke (OR = 2.802), parietal lobe lesion (OR = 1.737), chronic cough (OR = 2.099), aphasia (OR = 3.541), and post-stroke depression (OR = 3.398).

Conclusions: The prevalence of UI among post-stroke inpatients is high. Stroke inpatients looked after by health care assistant, hemorrhagic stroke, mixed stroke, parietal lobe lesion, chronic cough, aphasia, and post-stroke depression were high-risk groups for UI. These patients should be targeted when planning intervention programs.

Keywords: post-stroke; prevalence; risk factors; urinary incontinence.