Urinary Incontinence Among Omani Women: Prevalence, risk factors and impact on quality of life

Abstract

Objectives: Urinary incontinence (UI) in women is a common health problem which can have a negative impact on quality of life (QOL). This study aimed to determine the prevalence, risk factors and impact of UI on the QOL of Omani women attending primary healthcare centres in Muscat, Oman. Methods: This crosssectional study was conducted at three primary healthcare centres in Muscat from April to August 2018. Women who were 20–50 years of age, not pregnant, not in the six-month postnatal period, not seriously ill and not diagnosed with pelvic organ prolapse were included. A self-administered questionnaire using the International Consultation Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form was used to evaluate the frequency, severity and impact of UI on QOL. Results: A total of 1,070 women were included in this study (response rate = 92.5%). The mean age was 31.39 ± 7.64 years. UI was reported by 369 (34.5%) women, of whom 182 (49.3%) had stress UI, 97 (26.3%) had urgency UI, 88 (23.8%) had mixed UI and two (0.5%) had other UI. Age, body mass index (BMI), having been married or employed, hypertension, cough, constipation and vaginal or assisted vaginal delivery during the previous birth were significant risk factors for UI. Only 41 (11.1%) out of the 369 women with UI had ever sought medical advice despite the fact that more than two thirds of the women with UI reported negative effects on their QOL. Conclusion: UI is a common medical problem in Oman. Several risk factors, including age and BMI, were identified. Despite its negative consequences for QOL, women were found to be reluctant to seek medical attention for the condition.Keywords: Urinary Incontinence; Prevalence; Risk Factors; Quality of Life; Oman.

Effects of home‐based pelvic floor muscle training on decreasing symptoms of stress urinary incontinence and improving the quality of life of urban adult Omani women: A randomized controlled single‐blind study

“…It is considered as the most common type of urinary incontinence (UI) in women worldwide 2‐5 . In Oman, this finding has been confirmed by a recent study 6 . According to the same study, the following factors were identified as significant predictors of UI among Omani women: increasing age, high body mass index (BMI), chronic cough or constipation, and vaginal or assisted vaginal delivery during the last birth 6 …”

“…This is a prospective, single‐blinded, randomized, controlled, two‐parallel group clinical trial of before and after PFMT. This clinical trial was concurrently embedded within a cross‐sectional study of the prevalence and predictors of UI (details are available upon request) 6 . The trial is registered with the WHO/Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials # IRCT20180527039868N1.…”

“…The age group of 20 to 50 years was specifically targeted because women of this age group were expected to be more willing to participate and comply with the PFMT protocol. Moreover, they were expected to have a higher level of education that enables them to fill in a self‐administered questionnaire 6 . Women were categorized as having SUI only if they had a positive response to any or both of the following based on International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire‐short form (ICIQ‐SF) 19 questionnaire: (a) “Urine leaks when she coughs or sneezes,” 19 (b) “urine leaks when she is physically active/exercising” 19 and a negative response to the question related to urge UI (“urine leakage before she gets to the toilet”) 19 .…”

Prevalence, social impact and help-seeking behaviour among women with urinary incontinence in the Gulf countries: A systematic review

“…We identified nine cross-sectional studies that addressed the prevalence, social impact or help-seeking behaviour among women in the Gulf countries (Saudi Arabia (n = 3) [26,33,34]; United Arab Emirates (n = 2) [35,36]; Qatar (n = 2) [37,38], Kuwait (n = 1) [39] and Oman (n = 1) [40] (Table 1). There were no studies which addressed this problem in Bahrain.…”

Protocol of a Single-Blind Two-Arm (Waitlist Control) Parallel-Group Randomised Controlled Pilot Feasibility Study for mHealth App among Incontinent Pregnant Women

“…UI poses a risk of a person’s physical, functional, and psychological morbidities [ 5 ]. Pregnant women with UI may experience negatively impacted QOL in terms of their social-emotional relationships, difficulty in doing exercise and sport, employment issues, restrictions when travelling, sleeping disturbances, and difficulty during prayers [ 6 ]. This will be expected especially in Malaysia, where it is a Muslim country and to be dry before ablution and during the prayers is mandatory for the five times daily prayers.…”