High prevalence of incontinence among young adults with spina bifida: description, prediction and problem perception.
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.
Verhoef
M
M
Rehabilitation Centre De Hoogstraat, 3583 TM Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Lurvink
M
M
Barf
H A
HA
Post
M W M
MW
van Asbeck
F W A
FW
Gooskens
R H J M
RH
Prevo
A J H
AJ
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*