Abstract
Objectives: Population-level data are lacking for urinary incontinence (UI) in Central and Eastern European countries. Therefore, the objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence, bother, and behavior regarding treatment for UI in a population-representative group of Polish adults aged ≥ 40 years. Methods: Data for this epidemiological study were derived from the larger LUTS POLAND project, in which a group of adults that typified the Polish population were surveyed, by telephone, about lower urinary tract symptoms. Respondents were classified by age, sex, and place of residence. UI was assessed with a standard protocol and established International Continence Society definitions. Results: The LUTS POLAND survey included 6005 completed interviews. The prevalence of UI was 14.6–25.4%; women reported a greater occurrence compared with men (p < 0.001). For both sexes, UI prevalence increased with age. Stress UI was the most common type of UI in women, and urgency UI was the most prevalent in men. We did not find a difference in prevalence between urban and rural areas. Individuals were greatly bothered by UI. For women, mixed UI was the most bothersome, whereas for men, leak for no reason was most annoying. More than half of respondents (51.4–62.3%) who reported UI expressed anxiety about the effect of UI on their quality of life. Nevertheless, only around one third (29.2–38.1%) of respondents with UI sought treatment, most of whom received treatment. Persons from urban and rural areas did not differ in the degrees of treatment seeking and treatment receiving. Conclusion: Urinary incontinence was prevalent and greatly bothersome among Polish adults aged ≥ 40 years. Consequently, UI had detrimental effects on quality of life. Nonetheless, most affected persons did not seek treatment. Therefore, we need to increase population awareness in Poland about UI and available treatment methods, and we need to ensure adequate allocation of government and healthcare system resources.
Highlights
Urinary incontinence (UI) is a complaint of any involuntary leakage of urine [1,2,3]
No study has been performed in Poland to analyze UI at the general population level, despite an imperative to measure the magnitude of this public health issue, to formulate healthcare policy, and guide clinical practice
The negative effect of UI on public health in this region has been brought into focus by investigations from western countries, which demonstrated that UI in western populations is detrimental for multiple aspects of patient well-being [5,6,21,22]
Summary
Urinary incontinence (UI) is a complaint of any involuntary leakage of urine [1,2,3]. The prevalence and bother of UI have been estimated by population-based studies worldwide. These investigations revealed that UI may affect more than 40% of adults, a relatively high prevalence despite differences in survey methods, data collection, definition of UI, study population, respondent age, and culture or ethnicity [5,6]. The prevalence, bother, and treatment preferences of individuals have not been reliably evaluated by the definitions of UI endorsed by the International Continence Society (ICS) in any population-representative investigation for Central or Eastern Europe [1,2,3]. No study has been performed in Poland to analyze UI at the general population level, despite an imperative to measure the magnitude of this public health issue, to formulate healthcare policy, and guide clinical practice. Because multiple factors may affect health and health-related behavior (e.g., culture or ethnicity), treatment behavior related to UI in Poland or other Eastern
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