Incidence and resolution rates of different types of urinary incontinence in women: findings from a cohort study

Abstract

Purpose: We determined the incidence and resolution rates of different types of urinary incontinence in Australian women and examined the course of urinary incontinence with or without treatment.

Materials and methods: A total of 506 women originally recruited from a community based research database completed a baseline questionnaire in 2006 and a followup questionnaire in 2008. Urinary incontinence incidence and resolution were assessed using the Questionnaire for Urinary Incontinence Diagnosis. The Bristol Female Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms questionnaire was used to assess the impact of urinary incontinence on quality of life.

Results: At baseline and followup 442 women provided data. Mean ± SD age was 59.28 ± 12.1 years at followup. The total incidence of any new urinary incontinence was 17% (95% CI 12.4-21.6) in unaffected women and the total resolution rate was 16.8% (95% CI 11.4-22.2) in women with urinary incontinence during 2 years regardless of receiving treatment for urinary incontinence. There was also movement of women among the diagnoses of stress only, urge only and mixed urinary incontinence during followup. A total of 34 women reported having received treatment for urinary incontinence and 5 experienced resolution of the condition. All types of urinary incontinence were associated with impaired quality of life (p <0.001) and adversely impacted daily activity. A negative impact on quality of life (p = 0.02) was also observed in incident cases at followup compared with baseline.

Conclusions: Our study shows that urinary incontinence is a highly dynamic clinical condition with movement among diagnostic subtypes of stress only, urge only and mixed urinary incontinence, and periods of resolution. Any urinary incontinence is significantly associated with impaired quality of life.