Urinary incontinence in institutionalized elderly: prevalence and impact on quality of life

Abstract

Introduction: Urinary incontinence is a geriatric syndrome that generates strong economic and social impacts as well as emotional changes and negative consequences for the health of the elderly. Objective: The objective of this work was to identify the prevalence of urinary incontinence and its associated factors, as well as its impact on quality of life of institutionalized elderly. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted herein, with 10 long-term institutions for the elderly of the municipality of Natal (Northeast Brazil). The Minimum Data Set was completed by caregivers to determine the presence of incontinence, and the Short Form of the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire was answered by the elderly, to assess the frequency and amount of urinary leakage, the impact on quality of life, and the type of incontinence. The chi-square test and Fisher's exact test were applied in the bivariate analysis, and logistic regression was utilized for multivariate analysis. Results: The prevalence of urinary incontinence was 42.7% (95% CI: 34.8-50.8). The impact of this condition on daily life was mild in 46.5% of cases, moderate for 29.3% of cases, and severe in 24.1% of cases. The condition was associated with functional impairment (p < 0.001; RP: 4.13).

Urinary Incontinence and Its Association with Physical and Psycho-Cognitive Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study in Older People Living in Nursing Homes

“…When comparing other studies in NH residents with capacity to answer questionnaires, the prevalence of UI is higher than the one found by Jerez- Roig et al (2015) among Brazilian NH residents, with a prevalence of 42% [67]. but slightly lower than the Jachan et al (2019) study, with a prevalence of 70% in German NH residents [13].…”

“…On psycho-cognitive health, UI as a geriatric syndrome, has been strongly associated with cognitive decline and higher anxiety and depression levels in previous studies [18,22]. Regarding physical health, researchers over the years have found a strong association between UI and ADL limitations, frailty, physical performance and overall physical condition loss [12,14,21,26,67,85,86]. But there is no research done in NH populations to explain the results between low handgrip strength in incontinent residents, however Bag Soytas et al (2021) found a positive correlation between low handgrip strength and quantitatively measured weak pelvic floor muscle strength in adult women, a characteristic related to multiple causes in the pathophysiology of UI in women [87,88].…”

Predicting continence decline in institutionalized older people: A longitudinal analysis

“…Urinary incontinence (UI) is a health issue that affects more than half of the institutionalized older people and is mainly related to mobility and cognitive impairments . This multifactorial syndrome causes a moderate‐high impact on the quality of life and autonomy in the activities of daily living (ADL) of most institutionalized older people . Furthermore, a recent longitudinal study found that continence decline is one of the most important prognostic factors of functional decline, even stronger than the incidence of hospitalizations …”

“…[1][2][3] This multifactorial syndrome causes a moderate-high impact on the quality of life and autonomy in the activities of daily living (ADL) of most institutionalized older people. 3,4 Furthermore, a recent longitudinal study found that continence decline is one of the most important prognostic factors of functional decline, even stronger than the incidence of hospitalizations. 5 Saxer et al 2 conducted a 1-year longitudinal study on new-admitted older people who lived in Swiss nursing homes (NHs), and identified mobility in bed as the most important risk factor for UI.…”

Incontinencia urinaria: causas y cuidados de enfermería. Una revisión bibliográfica

“…*: número de artículos revisados.Otros autores, han comunicado cifras de prevalencia de IU, en el sexo femenino y edad avanzada del 43%; resultando esta cifra en un 2,5% en el caso de la población femenina con edad adulta alrededor de los 37,7 años y de bajos ingresos. En éstas últimas, un 46% de ellas reveló que nunca habían oído hablar de la IU, el 66% no sabían que existía un tratamiento médico; además, alcanzaron cifras del 100% en el desconocimiento acerca de la existencia de un tratamiento fisioterapéutico16,17 .Asimismo, existen estudios que han investigado el período de la mujer gestante y puerperal, observando que la IU que con más frecuencia aparece en este período es la de esfuerzo, con un comienzo durante la gestación y una continuidad durante la etapa del postparto. En el supuesto de tratarse de mujeres jóvenes y de mediana edad, la IU de esfuerzo sigue siendo la más frecuente; sin embargo, cuando las mujeres llegan a ser personas mayores, la IU de urgencia y mixta es la que se presenta de forma más habitual18,26 .-Causas y/o factores de riesgo La presencia de numerosos factores predisponentes provoca una mayor probabilidad de establecimiento de una IU.…”