Urinary incontinence among women with type 1 diabetes--how common is it?
OBJECTIVE
We compared the prevalence, level of bother and effect on daily activities of urinary incontinence among women with type 1 diabetes enrolled in the Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications study to a population based sample of women with normal glucose.


METHODS
We performed a cross-sectional analysis of women with type 1 diabetes and normal glucose tolerance using 2 study populations. The Diabetes Control and Complications Trial cohort followup, Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications, began in 1994. In 2004 women participants (550) completed a self-administered questionnaire on urinary incontinence. Our primary outcome was weekly or greater incontinence, overall and by type. Prevalence of urinary incontinence was compared to a subgroup of women with normal glucose in the 2001 to 2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).


RESULTS
Overall 65% of women with type 1 diabetes reported any urinary incontinence (17% reported weekly incontinence). Nearly 40% of these women were greatly bothered by their incontinence and 9% believed it affected their day-to-day activities. Women with type 1 diabetes had a nearly 2-fold greater prevalence of weekly urge incontinence compared to those without diabetes in the NHANES cohort (8.8% vs 4.5%, p = 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Urinary incontinence is common in women with type 1 diabetes and the prevalence of weekly urge incontinence is far greater compared to that in women with normal glucose levels. Moreover, the prevalence of urinary incontinence in women with type 1 diabetes was greater than that of neuropathy, retinopathy and nephropathy. These findings highlight the importance of screening for urinary incontinence among women with type 1 diabetes. Studies examining factors associated with urinary incontinence in women with type 1 diabetes are warranted.
Sarma
Aruna V
AV
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
Kanaya
Alka M
AM
Nyberg
Leroy M
LM
Kusek
John W
JW
Vittinghoff
Eric
E
Rutledge
Brandy
B
Cleary
Patricia A
PA
Gatcomb
Patricia
P
Brown
Jeanette S
JS
D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D055815:Young Adult