title: High prevalence of incontinence among young adults with spina bifida: description, prediction and problem perception.
abstract: METHODS
  Cross-sectional study.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study the prevalence of incontinence, problem perception and determinants of urinary and faecal incontinence in young adults with spina bifida.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nation-wide study in the Netherlands.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 179 of 350 invited patients participated, including 37 patients with spina bifida occulta and 142 with spina bifida aperta, of whom 119 had hydrocephalus; 41% were male and mean age was 20.4 (range 16-25 years).
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected from interviews, physical examination, neuropsychological tests and medical records.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Urinary and faecal incontinence was common in young adults with spina bifida (60.9 and 34.1%, respectively), regardless of the bladder and bowel management they used. The majority of urinary and faecal incontinent patients perceived this as a problem (69.7 and 77.0%, respectively). Spina bifida aperta, hydrocephalus and a level of lesion of L5 or above were associated with patients suffering from urinary and/or faecal incontinence. Predictors of perceiving urinary incontinence as a problem were, in addition to being incontinent, not having hydrocephalus and having a level of lesion of L5 or above. The only predictor of perceiving faecal incontinence as a problem was the frequency of incontinence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A majority of young adults with spina bifida suffer from urinary and faecal incontinence and most of them perceive their incontinence as a problem. Therefore, further efforts are important to improve urinary and faecal continence.
authors.affiliation: Rehabilitation Centre De Hoogstraat, 3583 TM Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Verhoef
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lurvink
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Barf
authors.forename: M W M
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Post
authors.forename: F W A
authors.initials: FW
authors.lastname: van Asbeck
authors.forename: R H J M
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Gooskens
authors.forename: A J H
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Prevo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D015984:Causality; D015897:Comorbidity; D005242:Fecal Incontinence / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D016135:Spinal Dysraphism / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*