Epidemiology of female urinary incontinence in the Greek population: EURIG study.

Introduction And Hypothesis: We estimated the current prevalence of urinary incontinence (UI) in the female Greek population, estimated the prevalence of the subtypes of UI, and assessed its impact on patients' quality of life.

Methods: The study was performed by personal interview based on structured questionnaires, and 2,000 Greek women (from the whole of Greece) aged between 20 and 80 years old participated in the study.

Results: The prevalence of UI in a female Greek population comprising women aged between 20 and 80 years was 27%. The impact was proportional to the frequency and severity of the UI. UI had no effect or only a mild effect on patients' quality of life.

Conclusion: Significant improvement is required in patient information about the nature of UI and its effects on life, and about available treatments (conservative and surgical), and their efficacy and complications.