Prevalence and risk factors of urinary incontinence among Chinese women in Shanghai.

Objective: A group of healthy females were randomly sampled in Shanghai for the purpose of evaluating the prevalence of urinary incontinence (UI) among Chinese women and its associated risk factors.

Methods: 5,467 registered female residents aged from 20 years were randomly sampled from four communities in Shanghai, and the Bristol Female Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Questionnaire (the International Consultation Incontinence Questionnaire) was adopted. Detailed information regarding pregnancy, menstruation, and several demographic variables was also collected. Data were subsequently analyzed using McNemar's test, univariate analysis, multinomial logistic regression models, and binary logistic regression models.

Results: The prevalence rate of UI was estimated to be 23.3%. The rate of stress UI (SUI) was 14.0% (761/5433), which was more prevalent than the rate of urgency UI (UUI) and mixed UI (MUI), which were 3.0% (164/5433) and 6.3% (341/5433), respectively. The risk factors associated with developing UI included aging, lack of education, poor living environment (specifically in the rural area), intense manual labor, the absence of physical exercise, hyperlipemia, diabetes, nocturia, consumption of greasy food, divorce or widowing, chronic pelvic pain (CPP), pelvic organ prolapse (POP), frequent urinary tract infection, and vaginal delivery without episiotomy. We also observed that most Chinese women were not aware of UI, which prevented them from seeking early treatment.

Conclusions: Urinary incontinence is a common disorder among Chinese women in Shanghai, and many risk factors contribute to the development of UI. Most Chinese women were not aware of UI, which prevented them from seeking early treatment.