Objectives:
To evaluate the prevalence of urinary incontinence and its subtypes stress urinary incontinence, overactive bladder and mixed urinary incontinence, the prevalence of nocturia, and the impact of these conditions on quality of life in an elderly female population attended for vaccination in a Primary Health Care Unit in Niterói city, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Methods:
In an observational descriptive study, the Brazilian versions of the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire - Short Form and of the King's Health Questionnaire were used respectively to do the screening of women with urinary incontinence and to evaluate the impact of urinary incontinence and nocturia on quality of life. Sixty-six women took part in the survey.
Results:
The average age was 69.6±7.2 years. According to the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire - Short Form, the prevalence of IU was 42.4%, and 42.9% of elderly incontinent women reported impact of incontinence on their daily activities. The prevalence of stress urinary incontinence, overactive bladder and mixed urinary incontinence was, respectively, 15.2%, 12.1% and 10.6%. Twenty incontinent women agreed to answer the King's Health Questionnaire. Eleven of them (55%) reported complaints of mixed incontinence, and sixteen women (80%) presented nocturia. It was observed impact in quality of life in all domains.
Conclusion:
It was observed high prevalence of urinary incontinence in the studied population. According to the screening questionnaire, the most prevalent subtype of incontinence was stress urinary incontinence, whilst the use of the quality of life questionnaire showed higher prevalence of mixed incontinence. The frequency of nocturia could be estimated only for those women who answered to the King's Health Questionnaire. There was impact on all domains of quality of life.
Urinary Incontinence; Urinary Incontinence, Stress; Nocturia; Quality of Life; Health of the Elderly