Lower urinary tract symptoms in women with and without urinary incontinence

Abstract

Although most women are aware of the more severe end of the spectrum of urinary symptoms, incontinence, there are a myriad of other symptoms that can affect women's quality of life. The aim of this study is to compare lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and associated factors in women with and without urinary incontinence. This descriptive study compared LUTS and associated factors between 367 incontinent and 401 continent women. LUTS were evaluated with Bristol Female Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (BFLUTS) questionnaire. LUTS were more common among incontinent women with higher BFLUTS scores, indicating more severe complaints. Filling and voiding symptoms were also common among continent women. The most common symptoms in both groups were urgency, bladder pain, frequency, hesitancy and intermittency. Incontinent women with history of ≥4 pregnancy/birth and ≥4 kg fetus had the highest scores. Recurrent infection and flatus were associated with higher scores in both groups. History of diabetes, hypertension and haemorrhoid increased scores among continent women, while pulmonary disease was the only significant medical condition among incontinent women. Overweight and history of ≥10 kg weight gain were associated with higher scores among incontinent women. Women with ‘history of incontinence in mother’ had higher scores in continent women while ‘incontinence in relatives' had more significant effects on BFLUTS scores of incontinent women. LUTS with or without incontinence were common, especially in women with increased parity, high birth weight, chronic diseases diabetes, obesity and family history.