The Relationship Between Urinary Incontinence and Self-Esteem of Woman

Abstract

Objectives: In this study, urinary incontinence and self-esteem in women were investigated. Methods: This research is of descriptive type. The sample consisted of 252 female patients who applied to the family health center. The data was collected with the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Short Form (ICIQ-SF) and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). Results: Women with urinary incontinence had a moderate level of self-esteem, while women without urinary incontinence had a high level of self-esteem. In the correlation analysis, a negative, moderately highly significant relationship was found between ICIQ-SF and RSES (p=0.001). Conclusion: Questioning urinary incontinence by healthcare professionals, early diagnosis of patients, raising awareness, and informing them about treatment may contribute to the improvement of patients' quality of life and self-esteem.