Factors associated with incontinence frequency in a surgical cohort of stress incontinent women.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with urinary incontinence severity at baseline in women undergoing surgery for stress incontinence.


METHODS
Baseline data were obtained from 650 women (age 28 to 81 years) with stress incontinence participating in a randomized surgical trial. Severity of incontinence was defined by the mean number of incontinence episodes per day recorded in a 3-day bladder diary. The relationships between severity and several baseline variables were examined, including demographics, medical, obstetric, and gynecologic history, body mass index, smoking status, Q-tip displacement, and Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification stage (POP-Q).


RESULTS
In a multivariable model, severity of incontinence was positively associated with body mass index (P = .0003) and current smoking (P = .01), and negatively associated with prolapse stage (P < .0001) and Q-tip displacement (P = .042).


CONCLUSIONS
Incontinence severity in a surgical population was independently associated with 2 modifiable factors, obesity and tobacco use, as well as pelvic support.
Richter
Holly E
HE
Division of Medical Surgical Gynecology, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL, USA.
Burgio
Kathryn L
KL
Brubaker
Linda
L
Moalli
Pamela A
PA
Markland
Alayne D
AD
Mallet
Veronica
V
Menefee
Shawn A
SA
Johnson
Harry W
HW
Boreham
Muriel K
MK
Dandreo
Kimberly J
KJ
Stoddard
Anne M
AM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D011788:Quality of Life; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D014550:Urinary Incontinence, Stress / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014563:Urodynamics; D014596:Uterine Prolapse / Q000453:epidemiology