Urinary incontinence (UI) is frequently underreported and underdiagnosed in the clinical setting. We analyzed 12 years of data from a large, nationally representative sample of women in the United States to assess the prevalence, severity, and daily impact of UI and its subtypes at the population level.
We analyzed data from 15,003 women aged ≥20 years who participated in the 2005-2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We estimated the prevalence of UI in the prior year, overall and by subtype (stress, urgency, or mixed). Among women with UI, we additionally assessed symptom severity using the validated 4-level Incontinence Severity Index, as well as impact on daily activities.
The 2005-2016 prevalence of any UI was 53%; 16% had mixed UI, 26% had stress only, and 10% had urgency only. While urgency UI and mixed UI were highest among women aged 60+, stress UI was highest among women aged 40-59 years. NonHispanic Black women had higher prevalence of urgency UI and lower prevalence of stress UI compared to other racial/ethnic groups. Thirty percent of women with UI reported moderate or severe symptoms, which were more common among older than younger women. Twenty-four percent of women with UI reported that UI affected their daily activities.
Our study demonstrates a high prevalence of UI among a nationally representative population of women in the United States, with many women reporting that UI affected their daily activities. Age and racial/ethnic trends varied by UI subtype.
The Journal of urology. 2021 Feb 19 [Epub ahead of print]
Una J Lee, Lydia Feinstein, Julia B Ward, Ziya Kirkali, Erline E Martinez-Miller, Brian R Matlaga, Kathleen C Kobashi
Section of Urology, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington., Social & Scientific Systems, Inc., Durham, North Carolina., National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland., Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.