title: Influence of functional, urological, and environmental characteristics on urinary incontinence in community-dwelling older women.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships of functional, urological, and environmental characteristics to the frequency of urinary incontinence in 131 community-dwelling older women. Subjects with detrusor instability with or without concomitant genuine stress incontinence had significantly more impaired physical functioning, slower gait speeds, smaller bladder capacities, and less ability to delay voiding than subjects with genuine stress incontinence alone. Age, distance to toilet used most, and toilet-gait speed explained 17% of the variance in incontinence severity. Younger age, slower mobility, and a shorter distance to reach the toilet were associated with a higher frequency of incontinence. Physical functional status and urological characteristics, including urodynamic diagnosis, did not predict incontinence severity. These findings confirm, in part, the commonly held assumption that mobility and the environment influence urinary incontinence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community and Psychiatric Nursing, School of Nursing, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond.
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Wyman
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Elswick
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Ory
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Fantl
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014038:Toilet Facilities; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014563:Urodynamics