Analysis of the usage of continence pads and help-seeking behavior of women with stress urinary incontinence in Poland

Abstract

BackgroundUrinary incontinence (UI) in women is a chronic disorder which has a negative impact on health-related quality of life. Only 45 % of the affected individuals report the problem with continence to their doctor. The aim of the study was to assess the duration of stress urinary incontinence (SUI), time from disease onset to the first medical consultation and in-depth diagnosis, as well as the need for using continence pads in various grades of SUI.MethodsWe conducted a cross-sectional study in women who presented at the urogynecologic ambulatory center and reported urinary incontinence. A total of 420 subjects were interviewed and underwent urogynecologic and urodynamic examinations. A group of 147 patients with urodynamic SUI was enrolled in the study.ResultsAll women were graded according to the Stamey severity score: grade 1 – 56 (38.1 %), grade 2 – 68 (46.3 %), and grade 3 – 23 (15.6 %). Mean time elapsed between disease onset and presentation at the urogynecologic ambulatory center was 17.4 ± 11.8 years (grades 1, 2 and 3 for 11.6 ± 11.8, 14.9 ± 10.8, and 22.2 ± 12.1 years, respectively; p = 0.0002). Patients with SUI started perceiving their condition as a problem 4.7 ± 5.4 years before referral to urodynamics; 58.3 % of the SUI patients reported their problems with continence to a physician. Average time between the onset of UI symptoms and seeking medical help was 13.28 ± 12.3 years. Mean duration of using continence pads during the day was 4.2, 5.4 and 10.2 years in grades 1, 2 and 3, respectively (p = 0.0002). The number of patients using continence pads in and outside the home, as compared to outside only, was: grade 1 – 44.6 % vs. 28.6 %, grade 2 – 77.6 % vs. 13.4 %, and grade 3 – 86.4 % vs. 9.1 % (p = 0.004). Mean use of continence pads at night was 3.3, 6.1, and 9.1 years in grades 1, 2 and 3, respectively. The differences were not statistically significant. Protective continence products were used at night by 26.7 % of the SUI patients: 16.1 %, 25 % and 59.1 % in grades 1, 2 and 3, respectively (p = 0.004).ConclusionsWomen with SUI delay seeking medical help for over a decade. The severity of SUI is associated with duration and increased use of continence pads.

Understanding help-seeking in older people with urinary incontinence: an interview study

“…It has been shown that how bothersome people find UI is a stronger predictor of helpseeking than the severity of UI (Xu et al 2015). Still, older people who may be in frequent contact with healthcare professionals often do not seek help for their UI although it affects general well-being, selfesteem and social functioning (Lagro-Janssen et al 1992, Robinson et al 1998, Simeonova et al 1999) and recent research shows that women with stress-related UI delay consultation and treatment for their condition for over a decade (Grzybowska et al 2015). Despite increasing evidence that effective management of UI is possible, older people are frequently neither assessed nor treated (Wagg 2013), partly due to a lack of awareness of the potential for treatment among both patients and professionals (Gibson & Wagg 2014, Gibson et al 2016.…”

24/7 usage of continence pads and quality of life impairment in women with urinary incontinence

“…In an earlier study, the relation between Stamey grades of SUI and the use of continence pads during the day and at night was confirmed. Patients with severe SUI used protective continence products more often . Also, Oh et al, found the number of episodes and amount of leakage to be the potential risk factors for perceived UI severity .…”

“…Patients with severe SUI used protective continence products more often. 20 Also, Oh et al, found the number of episodes and amount of leakage to be the potential risk factors for perceived UI severity. 13 Patients with a pad test loss of >25 g had a 4.7-fold higher risk for perceiving their symptoms as more severe than those with a loss of <15 g. 13 In our study, women using continence pads for 24 hours had higher BMI (28.1 ± 5.2 vs 26.7 ± 5.0), but the effect of this parameter on the results was excluded, as BMI was not a significant predictor for the KHQ results.…”

Absorbent products use and symptom distress in women who have urinary incontinence and heart failure

“…For women who have not had their incontinence evaluated and only use absorbent products, they face a likely future that the UI will not improve. Also if women do not select and use the appropriate absorbent products for their UI, then urinary tract infections, IAD, delays in help seeking for UI, increased rate of falls, increased severity of SUI, and decreased rate of successful voids could occur …”

“…Characteristics of women who have HF and UI (N=100) IAD,26,27 delays in help seeking for UI,28 increased rate of falls,29 increased severity of SUI 28 , and decreased rate of successful voids Logistic regression of factors related to absorbent products use Instrumental activities of daily living; CESD-SF, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale Short Form. CI, confidence interval.…”