BACKGROUND: Fecal incontinence occurs more frequently in the female population and it becomes more prevalent with increasing age. There are few studies that have assessed the prevalence and severity of postmenopausal women. AIMS: To investigate fecal incontinence. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed on 100 postmenopausal women over the age of 45. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were evaluated, and a descriptive analysis of these characteristics was carried out. The prevalence of fecal incontinence was estimated. St. Mark's incontinence score was applied to study the severity of symptoms associated with fecal incontinence. The score was then categorized according to the tertile and symptom severity was classified as mild, moderate or severe incontinence. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to study the association between fecal incontinence and its likely determinants, employing the prevalence ratio. Confidence interval was set at 95%. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 58.9 ± 5.9 years (range, 46-76 years). The prevalence rate was 15% for fecal incontinence. Of incontinent patients, 60% had mild incontinence. After multivariate analysis, factors associated with fecal incontinence was history of forceps delivery (prevalence ratio: 7.80; 95% confidence interval:2.38-25.55). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of fecal incontinence was high in postmenopausal women. Data suggest that most women presented mild fecal incontinence. The history of forceps delivery was associated with fecal incontinence.
Fecal incontinence; Menopause; Postmenopause; Prevalence
