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. 2016 Jun;64(6):1274-80.
doi: 10.1111/jgs.14088.

Ten-Year Prevalence and Incidence of Urinary Incontinence in Older Women: A Longitudinal Analysis of the Health and Retirement Study

Elisabeth A Erekson  1   2 , Xiangyu Cong  3 , Mary K Townsend  4 , Maria M Ciarleglio  5
Affiliations

Ten-Year Prevalence and Incidence of Urinary Incontinence in Older Women: A Longitudinal Analysis of the Health and Retirement Study

Elisabeth A Erekson et al. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2016 Jun.

Abstract

Objectives: To measure the incidence of urinary incontinence (UI) over 10 years in older women who did not report UI at baseline in 1998, to estimate the prevalence of female UI according to severity and type, and to explore potential risk factors for development of UI.

Design: Secondary analysis of a prospective cohort.

Setting: Health and Retirement Study.

Participants: Women participating in the Health and Retirement Study between 1998 and 2008 who did not have UI at baseline (1998).

Measurements: UI was defined as an answer of "yes" to the question, "During the last 12 months, have you lost any amount of urine beyond your control?" UI was characterized according to severity (according to the Sandvik Severity Index) and type (according to International Continence Society definitions) at each biennial follow-up between 1998 and 2008.

Results: In 1998, 5,552 women aged 51 to 74 reported no UI. The cumulative incidence of UI in older women was 37.2% (95% confidence interval (CI)=36.0-38.5%). The most common incontinence type at the first report of leakage was mixed UI (49.1%, 95% CI=46.5-51.7%), and women commonly reported their symptoms at first leakage as moderate to severe (46.4%, 95% CI=43.8-49.0%).

Conclusion: Development of UI in older women was common and tended to result in mixed type and moderate to severe symptoms.

Keywords: epidemiology; natural history; urinary incontinence.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: The editor in chief has reviewed the conflict of interest checklist provided by the authors and has determined that the authors have no financial or any other kind of personal conflicts with this paper.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Plot of observed OR (95% confidence interval) and 50th percentile (2.5th percentile, 97.5th percentile) of odds ratio from 10,000 sensitivity analyses. where: Dotted line-50th percentile (2.5th percentile, 97.5th percentile) of odds ratio from 10,000 sensitivity analyses Solid line-observed odds ratio with 95% confidence interval from multinomial logistic regression OR-odds ratio; CI-confidence interval; CODA- children of the depression (birth year 1924-1930); HRS- original Health and Retirement Survey (birth year 1931-1941); WB-war babies- (birth year 1942-1947); UI-urinary incontinence; BMI-body mass index; CES-D- Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Score
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