title: Stress urinary incontinence in climacteric women in a northeastern Brazilian municipality: a household survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Low socioeconomic factors may influence the development of stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Thus far, there is little research available on SUI in developing countries. We aimed to determine whether the prevalence of SUI in a northeastern Brazilian municipality was higher or lower than in the general female population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional household cluster study of 1,180 climacteric women in the São Luís municipality (Maranhão state, Brazil) was conducted using a standardized questionnaire that was previously tested in a pilot study and administered by interviewers to obtain socioeconomic and cultural information, climacteric aspects, and life habits related to SUI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From this population, 15.34% (n = 181) had SUI; this prevalence did not change with age. More than half (57.92%) of the patients replied that they had not consulted a physician for their SUI. The presence of SUI was not associated with any socioeconomic or gynecological variables after multivariate analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of SUI in São Luís was similar to the rates observed in the general global female population. Socioeconomic and gynecological variables were not associated with SUI.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo University, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil. lgobrito@gmail.com
authors.forename: Luiz Gustavo Oliveira
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Brito
authors.forename: Luciane Maria Oliveira
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Brito
authors.forename: Maria Bethânia da Costa
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Chein
authors.forename: Elizabeth Santos de Andrade
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Malheiros
authors.forename: Thaiana Bezerra
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.forename: Aarão Mendes
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Pinto-Neto
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002979:Climacteric / Q000502:physiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005191:Family Characteristics / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015995:Prevalence; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014550:Urinary Incontinence, Stress / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000503:physiopathology