title: [Prevalence and risk factors of urinary incontinence in young women].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Urinary incontinence is a very common disease among women but only few studies have been published in young adult and middle-aged population. We studied urinary incontinence prevalence and risk factors in this young and middle-aged population.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied during the year 1998 the prevalence of global incontinence and stress, urge and mixed urinary incontinence in 1700 women working in a French academic hospital (n = 2800). Women received the questionnaire at the same time than their convocation for their yearly visit in occupational medicine. Usual risk factors of constitutional events (increasing âge, obesity defined by a Body Mass Index > or = 25); obstetric events (pregnancy, previous caesarean delivery, previous vaginal delivery, post-partum incontinence) and gynaecological event (hysterectomy) were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  177 women (mean âge 40.0 years) returned the questionnaire. 467 women (27.5% 95% CI = 25.4-29.7) reported urinary incontinence, 210 (12.4% 95% CI = 10.8-14.0) stress urinary incontinence, 28 (1.6% 95% CI = 1.1-2.4) urge urinary incontinence and 229 (13.5% 995% CI = 11.9-15.2) mixed urinary incontinence. 38 women (8.1%) suffered from frequent urinary leakage corresponding to 1 (0.5%), 4 (14.3%) and 33 (14.4%) stress, urge and mixed urinary incontinence. The prevalence of urinary incontinence increased significantly with âge > or = 40 years (RR = 2.16 95% CI = 1.86-2.57) pregnancy (RR = 2.22 95% CI = 1.71-2.87), previous vaginal delivery (RR = 2.15 95% CI = 1.72-2.69), post-partum incontinence (RR = 2.57 95% CI = 2.22-2.97, hysterectomy (RR = 1.52 95% CI = 1.11-2.08). Obesity (RR = 1.14 95% CI = 0.99-1.32) and previous caesarean delivery (RR = 2.15 95% CI = 1.72-2.69) did not increase the risk of urinary incontinence. The risk factors for stress urinary incontinence were âge > or = 40 years (RR = 2.18 95% CI = 1.66-2.87), pregnancy (RR = 2.36 95% CI = 1.55-3.58), previous vaginal delivery (RR = 2.47 95% CI = 1.70-3.59), post-partum incontinence (RR = 2.78 95% CI = 2.14-3.61) and hysterectomy (RR = 2.83 95% CI = 1.93-4.15). No relationship was found between stress urinary incontinence and obesity (RR = 1.25 95% CI = 0.96-1.64) and previous caesarean delivery (RR = 1.02 95% CI = 0.45-2.32).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A high prevalence of urinary incontinence was observed among young adult and middle-aged female hospital workers with an easy access to medical resources. Gynaecological and obstetric event (pregnancy particularly previous vaginal delivery and hysterectomy) were the most prominent risk factors, especially for stress urinary incontinence.
authors: Service d'Urologie, Hôpital Tenon, Paris, France. laurence.peyrat@libertysurf.fr
authors: Laurence
authors: L
authors: Peyrat
authors: Olivier
authors: O
authors: Haillot
authors: Franck
authors: F
authors: Bruyere
authors: Jean-Michel
authors: JM
authors: Boutin
authors: Philippe
authors: P
authors: Bertrand
authors: Yves
authors: Y
authors: Lanson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000453:epidemiology*