Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Impact on Quality of Life Due to Urinary Incontinence Among Palestinian Women: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common condition that affects females with variable incidence. Factors like age, obesity, weak pelvic floor, and pregnancy contribute to UI pathogenesis. Our study aimed to determine the prevalence of UI and identify associated risk factors.

Methods: A cross-sectional study recruited females aged 18-65 attending primary health care (PHC) centers. The collected data included demographic information and questionnaire scores for urinary incontinence diagnosis (QUID), International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence (ICIQ-UI), and Incontinence Impact Questionnaire-Short Form (IIQ-7) scores.

Results: Three hundred and eleven females met our inclusion criteria, with 162 (52.1%) participants aged ≥ 42 years. Approximately 41.5% were college/university graduates, and 23.2% had an education level less than high school. Moreover, 108 (34.7%) participants were smokers, 223 (71.7%) drank coffee, and approximately 212 (68.2%) drank tea. Only 125 (40.2%) participants engaged in exercise at variable frequencies, and most of them exercised once per week. Approximately 27.3% of the participants had chronic medical illness with hypertension or diabetes mellitus (40 (12.9%) or 25 (8%), respectively). Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) was found among 152 (48.9%) participants, while urgency urinary incontinence (UUI) was found among 114 (36.7%) participants. Age ≥ 42, marital status, low educational level, unemployment, lack of physical activity, and chronic medical illnesses were significantly correlated with both SUI and UUI. There was a strong correlation between UI and the severity of symptoms and between UI and quality of life (QoL).

Conclusion: The prevalence of UI is relatively high among Palestinian women. Many factors contributing to UI included age, marital status, the presence of other chronic medical diseases, and a lack of physical activity. Early detection and diagnosis are necessary to provide effective treatment and improve UI symptoms and QoL.