Trata-se de um estudo de revisão bibliográfica com o objetivo de identificar os principais fatores de risco ou associados à incontinência urinária (IU) na mulher. Utilizou-se a base de dados MEDLINE e LILACS e pesquisa em bibliotecas dos artigos publicados entre 1983 e 2003. Foram analisadas trinta e oito publicações em inglês e português, as quais relataram como os principais fatores de risco: idade, trauma do assoalho pélvico, fatores hereditários, raça, menopausa, obesidade, doenças crônicas, uso de alguns simpaticomiméticos e parasimpaticolíticos, constipação, tabagismo, consumo de cafeína e exercícios intensos na região abdominal. A enfermeira pode, por meio de anamnese, identificar estes fatores e realizar intervenções para a prevenção e tratamento da IU, contribuindo para melhorar a qualidade de vida da mulher incontinente.

Our purpose with this study was to verify the restriction of the urinary incontinence (UI) in a woman's daily life, considering the type of incontinence, and find out how women deal with that. It is a secondary analysis of data taken from a previous study that were obtained using open and closed questions. Interviews were held with 164 incontinent inpatients of gynecological and urological clinics of two hospital schools in the city of Campinas, in the State of São Paulo, with ages ranging from 25 to 85 years. Of this universe, 104 (64%) indicated one or more restrictions regarding their daily life activities, such as altered sexual (40.9%), social (33.5%), domestic (18.9%) and occupational activities (15.2%). Mixed urinary incontinence and urge incontinence were mentioned as that affected the most women's daily life. The disposable pad system was the most utilized strategy in dealing with UI. It was concluded that UI has a negative impact on the daily life of these women.

RESUMOThe prevalence of urinary incontinence (UI) was acessed, its interference in the performance of daily occupational activities and its management among the women's nurse staff of a medical school hospital in Campinas, São Paulo. Of the 291 employers, 27.5% reported UI complaint at least monthly. The activities that required greater effort increased the urinary loss, what resulted in stress, feeling embarrassed and lack of concentration at work. The use of pad was the most frequent strategy at management of UI and sometimes the task could not be interrupted to use the restroom. In conclusion, the activities that require more effort and the difficulty for an adequate management of the UI in workplace increase the problem and interfere on professional performance. Descriptors: Urinary incontinence; Women's health; Nursing. RESUMO Foi identificada a prevalência de incontinência urinária (IU), sua interferência nas atividades ocupacionais diárias e seu manejo entre mulheres profissionais de enfermagem de um hospital de ensino de

Aim: To assess the concept of exclusive breastfeeding held by nursing women by comparing the period they consider that they perform it and the infants' age at the introduction of additional liquids. METHOD: Cross-sectional descriptive study conducted with 309 women who delivered babies at a university hospital in the interior of São Paulo, Brazil. The data were subjected to descriptive analysis; the variables of interest were crossed using the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test, the chi-square test and Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: Approximately 30% of the women reported having introduced additional liquids before the infants reached aged six months old, while asserting that they were performing exclusive breastfeeding. The following variables were associated with early introduction of liquids: lack of employment (p = 0.0386), younger maternal age (p = 0.0159) and first pregnancy (p = 0.003). CONCLUSION: The concept of exclusive breastfeeding might not be fully clear to women, as they seem to believe that it means not to feed the children other types of milk but that giving other liquids is allowed. These results show that promotion of breastfeeding should take beliefs and values into consideration to achieve effective dialogue and understanding with mothers.

Study respondents assigned multiple psychological meanings to issues related to feelings of powerlessness in general, leading to a narcissistic wound. The men experienced UI as a bodily deficiency, and erectile dysfunction was experienced as a feeling of being devitalized. These results suggest that UI from prostate cancer treatment affects sexuality and self-esteem.