Questionnaire survey on female urinary frequency and incontinence.

BACKGROUND

Urinary incontinence is a well-known bothersome symptom in women, which may cause physical and psychological problems. We conducted a questionnaire survey on female urinary incontinence to investigate the disease's impact on the quality of life (QoL), the reasons women don't seek medical attention and the information they wished to obtain.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

From March to October 2002, a member of the Professional Women's Coalition for Sexuality and Health distributed a questionnaire about urinary frequency and urinary incontinence to women who were attending the lectures hosted by the group.

RESULTS

We analysed 262 questionnaires: 158 people belonged to the Stress Urinary Incontinence (SUI) Group, 36 to the Overactive Bladder (OAB) Group, 22 to the Urinary Frequency (UF) Group and 18 to the Normal Group. 'Going out' was most influenced in all three groups with symptoms in their daily life. Compared with the Normal or SUI Group, the QoL in those belonging to the OAB and UF Groups was more deteriorated. The medical institution check-up rate in the SUI Group was the lowest at 7.1%, bringing down the overall consultation rate to 13.5%. More than 70% of respondents who didn't have a check-up said that they did not think it was a problem serious enough to require consultation.

CONCLUSIONS

Urinary incontinence and frequency impairs women's QoL. It is important to provide information on these diseases and to provide medical treatments that cater to the needs of individual patients.