title: Help-seeking behavior among women currently leaking urine in Nigeria: is it any different from the rest of the world?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined help-seeking behaviors and factors influencing their choice of hospital care in women currently leaking urine.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was part of a multistage community survey conducted among 5001 women in Nigeria who participated in the Ibadan Urinary Incontinence Household Survey. Help-seeking behavior was analyzed among 139 respondents currently leaking urine within the population surveyed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of those currently leaking urine was 35.7 years (standard deviation = 15.8). Only 18 (12.9%) had ever sought help, of which 15 had received hospital care. Logistic regression analysis showed that the odds of seeking hospital care was higher among less educated women (odds ratio [OR] = 4.05, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.17-13.89) and among those with severe incontinence (OR = 4.20, 95% CI: 1.24-14.29). Reasons mentioned for not seeking hospital care include a belief that the condition is not life-threatening (51.2%), do not believe there is treatment (18.2%), lack of funds (1.7%), too shy to disclose (2.5%), afraid of complications (1.7%), other (2.5%), and no reason (22.3%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows that very few women, currently experiencing urinary incontinence have sought medical care (approximately 1 in 10); and that the barriers identified are similar to those identified in previous studies, except that these women lack the necessary funds to seek care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Medical Statistics, and Environmental Health, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Oyo state, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Babatunde O
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: Adedokun
authors.forename: Imran O
authors.initials: IO
authors.lastname: Morhason-Bello
authors.forename: Oladosu A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Ojengbede
authors.forename: Ngozi S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Okonkwo
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kolade