Abstract
Introduction: During pregnancy, the prevalence of Urinary Incontinence (UI) is higher adversely impacting quality of life. Both Gestational Diabetes (GDM) and mild hyperglycemia have been associated with increased risk of UI. However, UI influence on quality of life is still poorly understood. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of UI on the quality of life of women with GDM. Method: Cross-sectional study including pregnant women allocated into 2 groups: Normoglycemic (NG) or Hyperglycemic/GDM (HG). All women classified as incontinent were asked to respond to the King’s Health Questionnaire (KHQ). Results: Of the 102 pregnant women enrolled, 69 were NG (67.6%) and 33 were HG (32.4%). UI prevalence was 55.9%. HG scores were lower for all KHQ domains with significant differences between groups regarding the scores for KHQ domains general health perception, UI impact, personal relationships emotions, and sleep/energy (p<0.05). Conclusions: UI impact was higher on pregnant women with hyperglycemia and GDM.
Highlights
Urinary Incontinence (UI) is defined by the International Continence Society (ICS) as the involuntary loss of urine that represents a hygienic or social problem to the individual [1]
UI prevalence and severity are significantly higher during pregnancy and in women with diabetes mellitus or a history of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) [11,12,13,14,15,16]
GDM was diagnosed using 100-g GTT combined with glycemic profile (GP) testing, which allows classifying pregnant women as being non-diabetic, or having mild gestational hyperglycemia, or gestational diabetes, or overt diabetes
Summary
Urinary Incontinence (UI) is defined by the International Continence Society (ICS) as the involuntary loss of urine that represents a hygienic or social problem to the individual [1]. Despite not being life-threatening, UI affects women on their daily living activities, social interactions, interpersonal and sexual relationships, careers, and psychological wellbeing thereby adversely impacting their quality of life [2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10]. UI prevalence and severity are significantly higher during pregnancy and in women with diabetes mellitus or a history of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) [11,12,13,14,15,16]. Just like UI, GDM may negatively impact quality of life. In a survey conducted in 10 Italian centers specialized in the care of pregnant women with diabetes, Lapolla et al observed that the diagnosis of GDM caused anxiety; one-third of women feared their child could contract diabetes at delivery and/or have congenital malformations [21]
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