Does urinary incontinence affect middle-aged and older women's time use and activity patterns?
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship between urinary incontinence and women's levels and hours of participation in 31 activities.


METHODS
A subset of panel members from the Health and Retirement Study completed the self-administered Consumption and Activities Mail Survey questionnaire in 2001. These data were linked with Health and Retirement Study 2000 data. Analyses were limited to 2,190 female Consumption and Activities Mail Survey self-respondents born in 1947 or earlier. Logistic regression was used to predict activity participation. Linear regression was used to predict the number of hours of participation.


RESULTS
The hypothesis that urinary incontinence affects women's time use and activity patterns was supported. Compared with the continent women, the incontinent women were less likely to have house cleaned, shopped, physically shown affection, or attended religious services in the recent past; and were more likely to have watched television or made music by singing or playing an instrument. Compared with continent activity participants, incontinent participants reported significantly fewer hours spent walking, communicating with friends and family by telephone or e-mail, working for pay, using a computer, and engaging in personal grooming and hygiene.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings substantiate prior work on the relationship between urinary incontinence and quality of life, and suggest a useful route for educating patients about the impact of urinary incontinence. Clinicians must be alert to opportunities for encouraging incontinent women to be active. It is also important to consider the implications for time use and activity patterns when advising patients about treatment and management options.


METHODS
II-2.
Fultz
Nancy H
NH
Institute for Research on Women and Gender and the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. nfultz@umich.edu
Fisher
Gwenith G
GG
Jenkins
Kristi Rahrig
KR
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007899:Leisure Activities; D016015:Logistic Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D014549:Urinary Incontinence