title: Association between the Geriatric Giants of urinary incontinence and falls in older people using data from the Leicestershire MRC Incontinence Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether urinary incontinence per se and different types of urinary incontinence individually are associated with an increased risk of falls in those aged 70 years and over. To investigate whether the presence of urinary symptoms, poor quality of life and physical limitations in this population with urinary incontinence is associated with falls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Study using data from the cross-sectional postal questionnaire undertaken in the Leicestershire Medical Research Council Incontinence Study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Leicestershire.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 5,474 people aged 70 years or more living in the community randomly selected from general practitioners' lists.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Urinary incontinence and both urge and stress incontinence were positively related to falls (P < 0.0001, P < 0.001 and P = 0.007, respectively). The larger the volume of urine lost, the greater the risk of falls (P < 0.0001). Falls were associated with the presence of urinary symptoms (P = 0.01 or less), physical limitations (P = 0.001 or less) and having a poorer quality of life (P = 0.004 or less) in respondents with urinary incontinence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An association has been shown between falling and urinary leakage including the previously unreported association with stress leakage. Falling and urinary incontinence were found to be associated with physical limitations and had an impact on quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine for the Elderly, Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Longmoor Lane, Liverpool L9 7AL, UK. anne.foley@aintree.nhs.uk
authors.forename: Anne L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Foley
authors.forename: Shankar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Loharuka
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Barrett
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mathews
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Catherine W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: McGrother
authors.forename: Brenda H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Roe
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000453:epidemiology*