A Cross-Sectional Preview of Correlates of Treatment Delay of Urinary Incontinence

Abstract

The prevalence of Urinary incontinence in geriatric women and its silent endurance poses high emotional burden as stigma attached to this condition often leads to reluctance in seeking timely medical assistance. However, affirmation to common characteristics of delayed help seeking behaviour can identify vulnerable women for further assistance.Objective: To determine the correlates of treatment delay of urinary incontinence by evaluating common characteristics of those who had delayed their treatment. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Lady Willingdon Hospital's gynecology outdoors over a three-year period from June 1, 2019, to May31, 2022. Out of 364 incontinent women, 198 participants were selected with aged above eighteen and incontinence for at least one year. Demographic information and UI-related factors of the participants were collected and evaluated by dividing data into short (less than or equal to three years) and long (greater than three years) delay groups. Correlates of treatment delay were determined by regression analysis using SPSS version 20.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Results: The respondents reported a treatment delay between one and thirty years; nearly half (59.60 percent) indicated a delay of more than three years. Age above fifty (odds ratio [OR] = 11.39; confidence interval [CI]: 4.30-30.18), embarrassment (OR = 3.63; CI: 1.19-11.12), lower subjective severity of symptoms (OR = 6.31; CI: 2.06-19.35), and stress incontinence (OR = 5.80; CI: 1.97-17.12) were significantly associated with treatment delay in regression analysis. Conclusions: In this study population, the correlates of treatment delay were age above fifty, embarrassment, lower subjective symptoms, and stress incontinence.