Is incontinence associated with menopause?
OBJECTIVE
To estimate (1) the prevalence of urinary incontinence in a population-based sample of Australian women aged 45-55 and to identify the factors associated with urinary incontinence; (2) the incidence of urinary incontinence over a 7-year follow-up period and to identify whether the transition from pre- to postmenopause is associated with the development of urinary incontinence.


METHODS
This was a cross-sectional study of 1897 women and a 7-year longitudinal follow-up of 373 of these women who were premenopausal at baseline. Annual interviews and physical measurements were taken in their homes.


RESULTS
Cross-sectional: the prevalence of urinary incontinence was 15%; multivariate analysis found that urinary incontinence patients were significantly more likely than those without incontinence to have higher body mass index (odds ratio [OR] 1.50, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.15, 1.95), have had gynecologic surgery (OR 2.17, 95% CI 1.42, 3.32), report urinary tract infections (OR 4.75, 95% CI 2.28, 9.90), diarrhea or constipation (OR 1.95, 95% CI 1.27, 3.00), and have had three or more children (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.06, 2.05). Longitudinal: during the 7-year follow-up, the average prevalence of urinary incontinence was 18% and the overall incidence 35%. Women who experienced a hysterectomy during the follow-up period had a higher incidence.


CONCLUSIONS
Urinary incontinence in middle-aged women is more closely associated with mechanical factors than with menopausal transition.
Sherburn
M
M
School of Physiotherapy, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Guthrie
J R
JR
Dudley
E C
EC
O'Connell
H E
HE
Dennerstein
L
L
D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000453:epidemiology*