Prevalence, management and impact of urinary incontinence in the workplace.
BACKGROUND
The few prior studies of urinary symptoms in the workplace have been small investigations of women in specific occupations (e.g. nursing) or industries (e.g. pottery manufacture). In this study, the aims were to describe the prevalence, management and impact of urinary incontinence for a large cross-section of employed women in the USA.


METHODS
Five-page questionnaires were mailed to 5130 American households selected from the National Family Opinion survey panel during the spring of 2004. Usable questionnaires were returned by 3364 women in the target age range of 18-60 years.


RESULTS
About 37% of the 2326 employed respondents reported urine loss during the last 30 days. The most common strategies for managing incontinence at work included frequent bathroom breaks and wearing pads. The use of urine control methods increased with the severity of urine loss. The effect of incontinence on workplace activities also increased with the severity of urine loss: 88% of employed women with the most severe symptoms reported at least some negative impact on concentration, performance of physical activities, self-confidence or the ability to complete tasks without interruption.


CONCLUSIONS
Urinary incontinence is prevalent among employed women. Those who experience severe symptoms report that it has a negative effect on aspects of work. Programs on the prevalence and impact of urinary incontinence would help educate both employers and employees, and may lead to the development of better management techniques in the workplace.
Fultz
Nancy
N
Institute for Research on Women and Gender, University of Michigan, G135C Lane Hall, 204 South State Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1290, USA. nfultz@umich.edu
Girts
Tammy
T
Kinchen
Kraig
K
Nygaard
Ingrid
I
Pohl
Gerhardt
G
Sternfeld
Barbara
B
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D014940:Work Schedule Tolerance; D017132:Workplace / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*