title: The help-seeking by women with urinary incontinence in Brazil.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Lower tract urinary symptoms are underestimated by women as well as health professionals. The objective of this study was to evaluate the behavior of adult women with urinary incontinence and overactive bladder symptoms in seeking medical treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred ninety-two women between 20 and 82 years old were interviewed. Urinary symptoms, epidemiologic, and quality of life (ICQ-SF) were related to the procurement of medical assistance. The Shapiro-Wilk, Mann-Whitney, and chi-square tests were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The impact of the symptoms on quality of life was greater in younger women. Twenty-two percent of the participants, mainly the younger ones, reported seeking medical services due to several associated symptoms and quality of life impact.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Younger women, association of several urinary symptoms, symptoms of urinary loss, and longer time since symptom onset were determining factors for seeking medical treatment.
authors.affiliation: Physical Therapy Department, Centro Universitário da Grande Dourados, Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
authors.forename: Angela A N
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Rios
authors.forename: Jefferson R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Cardoso
authors.forename: Marco Aurélio Freitas
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: Silvio Henrique Maia
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: de Almeida
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001938:Brazil; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D013997:Time Factors; D053201:Urinary Bladder, Overactive / Q000523:psychology*; D014550:Urinary Incontinence, Stress / Q000523:psychology*; D053202:Urinary Incontinence, Urge / Q000523:psychology*