title: Alcohol consumption and female urinary incontinence: a community-based study in Japan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the association between alcohol consumption and urinary incontinence among Japanese women.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 300 women aged 40-75 years were recruited from the community in middle and southern Japan. A validated food frequency questionnaire was given face-to-face to obtain information on dietary intake and habitual alcohol consumption. Urinary incontinence status was ascertained using the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 298 eligible participants, 82 women (27.5%) experienced urine leakage. The prevalence of alcohol drinking and mean ethanol intake were slightly higher among the incontinent women (39%; 7.1, standard deviation 24.1 g/day) than others without the condition (35.6%; 4.3, standard deviation 10.7 g/day). Relative to non-drinkers, the adjusted odds ratios of urinary incontinence were 1.31 (95% confidence interval 0.74-2.33) for alcohol drinking and 1.69 (95% confidence interval 0.42-6.81) for ethanol intake over 32 g/day, though the increases in risk did not reach statistical significance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Little association is evident between alcohol consumption and urinary incontinence in middle-aged and older Japanese women. Further studies are required to define the role of alcohol as a contributing factor of this distressing condition.
authors: School of Public Health, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia. andy.lee@curtin.edu.au
authors: Andy H
authors: AH
authors: Lee
authors: Fumi
authors: F
authors: Hirayama
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology