title: Does the impact of urinary incontinence on quality of life differ based on age?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate if the impact of urinary incontinence (UI) on quality of life (QOL) differs between women based on age.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review of patients presenting for the management of UI was performed. Patients with UI and their corresponding degree of bother were identified by their responses to validated questionnaires. Distributions of comorbidities and types of UI were presented as frequencies and compared between age cohorts with a chi-square test. Mean scale scores were assessed for normality and a one-way analysis of variance with a post hoc Scheffé's test was used to compare the scores.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 765 patients meeting inclusion criteria, 22.4 % were <45, 28.9 % were 45-55, and 48.8 % were >55 years of age. Women older than 55 were significantly more likely to have urge UI and mixed UI than their counterparts (p < 0.001). Women <45 and 45-55 were more negatively impacted in their ability to perform physical activities compared to women >55 (p = 0.004), whereas women >55 were significantly less likely to feel frustrated by their incontinence than women <45 (p = 0.022). However, there was no significant difference in overall impact of incontinence among groups (p = 0.585).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  UI equally impacts the functional and psychological QOL in women regardless of age. UI in women <55 results in a greater negative impact on level of physical activity, whereas women <45 are significantly more frustrated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Urogynecology, Hartford Hospital, 85 Seymour Street, Suite 525, Hartford, CT, 06106, USA, hbrazell@harthosp.org.
authors.forename: Hema D
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Brazell
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: O'Sullivan
authors.forename: Christine A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Lasala
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005639:Frustration; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014550:Urinary Incontinence, Stress / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D053202:Urinary Incontinence, Urge / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*