Adaptation and Use of Health Services by Primiparous Women With Urinary Incontinence

Prevalence and Influencing Factors of Help-Seeking Behavior Among Women with Urinary Incontinence: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Purpose: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the mean (weighted) prevalence of help-seeking behavior among women with urinary incontinence (UI) in relevant subgroups and the related influencing factors. Materials and Methods: Six English and four Chinese databases were systematically searched between 1996 and July 10, 2022. Two researchers independently screened the literature, extracted data, and evaluated the quality of the included studies. All statistical analyses were conducted using RevMan 5.4. Results: The mean (weighted) prevalence of help-seeking behavior based on the 41 included studies, including a total of 32,640 women with UI, was 28% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 22%-34%). We performed a subgroup analysis based on UI type, population, region, publication time, case definition of help-seeking, and use of validated tools to determine UI. The results of the subgroup analysis showed that the pooled prevalence of help-seeking behavior was 23% (95% CI: 14%-32%) among pregnant and maternity women, 27% (95% CI: 19%-35%) among menopausal women, 24% (95% CI: 14%-35%) among 20- to 50-year-old women, 31% (95% CI: 25%-36%) among those older than 50 years, 24% (95% CI: 17%-30%) in Asia, and 33% (95% CI: 22%-44%) in Europe. Meanwhile, the pooled odds ratio showed that education level, UI type, UI severity, and quality of life significantly influenced help-seeking behavior among women with UI. Conclusions: This systematic review revealed that the pooled prevalence of help-seeking behaviors among women with UI is 28%. These influencing factors have important implications for adapting to health care and social care systems.

A systematic review of utility-based and disease-specific quality of life measurement instruments for women with urinary incontinence

AIM

This systematic review aims to identify disease-specific and generic quality of life (QoL) outcome measurement instruments used in populations of women with urinary incontinence (UI) and to determine the most psychometrically robust and appropriate disease-specific and generic tools for measuring the quality of life in this population.

METHODS

A systematic search was conducted of PubMed, Embase, SCIELO, and CINAHL databases for studies evaluating measurement properties of QoL instruments in women with UI. The methodological quality of studies and the quality of measurement properties were evaluated using the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health status Measurement INtruments (COSMIN) checklist and quality criteria. Overall, evidence for measurement properties was graded using the modified grading of recommendations, assessment, development & evaluation approach.

RESULTS

A total of 73 studies were included, and 27 specific and 6 generic instruments were identified. The Incontinence QoL questionnaire (IQoL) had the highest overall psychometric quality for English-speaking populations and was the most widely translated tool. Evidence for generic QoL tools in this population is limited. Few studies evaluated measurement error or cross-cultural validity.

CONCLUSION

The IQoL is the most psychometrically robust disease-specific tool for use in this population. More research is needed to determine the most psychometrically robust generic tool. Future studies should also evaluate measurement error and cross-cultural validity as evidence for these properties is particularly lacking.

Nonbiologic factors that impact management in women with urinary incontinence: review of the literature and findings from a National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases workshop

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS

Urinary incontinence (UI)-defined as a complaint of involuntary loss of urine-is common in women, with major public health, financial, and quality of life (QoL) implications. Despite the high toll of UI and the availability of effective conservative treatments, many women with UI do not seek care. Those who do often continue to experience symptoms. Improving UI treatment may require a comprehensive approach to urology research, including a broad set of potentially influential factors beyond biologic.

METHODS

To explore the effects of nonbiologic factors (NBF) on UI management and treatment response, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases convened a workshop for clinical and psychosocial researchers. Participants proposed a UI treatment pathway: recognizing the problem, willingness to seek treatment, access to care, receiving quality treatment, engaging in self-management, and adhering to chosen treatments; discussed potential NBFs that may affect the pathway; and identified areas for future research. After the meeting, a rapid literature review was conducted to assess the current state of research on NBFs in women with UI.

RESULTS

Participants identified several patient-level NBFs that may influence the UI management pathway, including QoL and perceived bother; stigma, shame, and embarrassment; knowledge and perceptions; social determinants of health; cultural and language characteristics; personal characteristics and skills; and physical abilities. Additionally, participants acknowledged that provider- and system-level factors also play a role and likely interact with patient-level factors.

CONCLUSIONS

NBFs that potentially affect the UI management pathway are not well understood, and a comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach to research is needed to understand and appropriately support effective UI treatment.

Complementary and Conventional Health-care Utilization Among Young Australian Women With Urinary Incontinence

OBJECTIVE

To examine the relationship between health status and health service utilization (including conventional and complementary and alternative medicine [CAM]) accessed by women experiencing urinary incontinence (UI). Although a high number of younger women report symptoms of UI, such as leaking urine, only a small proportion seek help for these symptoms.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health is a large nationally representative study that investigates the health and well-being of women. The 2 most recent surveys (2006 and 2009) of the young cohort (women aged 28-33 and 31-36 respectively) were analyzed.

RESULTS

The presence of UI was 8.5% in 2006 (n = 859) and 23.3% in 2009 (n = 1878), whereas the percentage of women who sought help for their UI was 18.6% (n = 160) and 2.2% (n = 182) respectively. Women with UI had poorer health compared with women without UI (P < .005), and women who sought help for their symptoms had poorer physical functioning than women who did not (P < .005). Women who sought help were greater users of conventional and CAM health services (P < .005), including a general practitioner, specialist, hospital doctor, physiotherapist, and naturopath.

CONCLUSION

UI is relatively common in younger women. However, many do not seek help. Of the women who do seek care, a large number visit CAM professionals as well as conventional medical professionals, despite a lack of research evaluating the efficacy of CAM treatment. Research is needed to explore CAM practitioner approaches to the treatment of UI and to evaluate the efficacy of these treatments.

Factors associated with treatment-seeking behavior for postpartum urinary incontinence

PURPOSE

To identify the factors associated with treatment-seeking behavior for urinary incontinence (UI) among postpartum women.

DESIGN

This is a cross-sectional study. A total of 142 women with postpartum UI responded a telephone interview between August of 2010 and March of 2011. The association between the treatment-seeking and the predicting variables were measured through odds ratio and 95% confidence interval.

RESULTS

The treatment-seeking percentage was 37.3% and the treatment percentage was 27.5%. The result of multiple logistic regressions indicated that: counseling about UI in pregnancy, postpartum physical exercise, and Spanish nationality predicted 47.8% of the variance in treatment-seeking behavior

CONCLUSIONS

The lack of counseling largely determines the low rates of treatment-seeking among Spanish mothers.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Nursing counseling during pregnancy can contribute substantially to increasing the number of women treated for postpartum UI.

Racial differences in self-reported healthcare seeking and treatment for urinary incontinence in community-dwelling women from the EPI Study

AIMS

Objectives of this study are: (1) to examine the prevalence of healthcare seeking among black and white women with self-reported urinary incontinence (UI), (2) to investigate barriers to treatment for incontinence, and (3) To investigate commonly used therapeutic modalities for UI.

METHODS

This is a planned secondary analysis of responses from 2,812 black and white community-dwelling women living in southeastern Michigan, aged 35-64 years, who completed a telephone interview concerning UI, healthcare-seeking behaviors and management strategies. The study population was 571 subjects (278 black, 293 white) who self-identified as having urinary incontinence.

RESULTS

Of these women with UI, 51% sought healthcare with no statistically significant difference between the two races (53% black, 50.6% white, P = 0.64). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, a higher likelihood of seeking healthcare was associated with increased age, body mass index lower than 30  kg/m(2) , prior surgery for UI, having regular pelvic exams, having a doctor, and worsening severity of UI. There was no significant association between hypothesized barriers to care seeking and race. Almost 95% of the subjects identified lack of knowledge of available treatments as one barrier. Black and white women were similar in percentage use of medications and some self-care strategies, for example, pad wearing and bathroom mapping, but black women were significantly more likely to restrict fluid intake than white women and marginally less likely to perform Kegels.

CONCLUSIONS

Black and white women seek healthcare for UI at similar, low rates. Improved patient-doctor relationships and public education may foster healthcare seeking behavior.