Background: Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is prevalent and significantly impacts morbidity. While some risk factors for SUI have been identified, those specifically related to the severity of SUI have not been thoroughly investigated. Methods: This study recruited elderly female patients with SUI, aged over 60 years old, from Wuhan, Hubei, China, between October and November 2020. Data collection encompassed demographic information, clinical features (including obstetric history, chronic diseases, Urogenital Distress Inventory-6 (UDI-6), and International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-SF) scores), as well as physical examinations (including assessments of pelvic floor muscle strength, pelvic organ prolapse quantification (POP-Q) system, and pelvic floor ultrasound imaging). Results: Univariate analysis revealed that a history of postpartum urinary incontinence and chronic constipation significantly influenced the severity of SUI symptoms in the elderly (p < 0.05). Additionally, age, the number of vaginal deliveries, and a history of chronic cough were correlated with the severity of SUI symptoms, with p-values of 0.05, 0.08, and 0.12, respectively. Factors such as pelvic floor muscle strength, vaginal wall prolapse, uterine prolapse, and the morphology of the largest urethral opening all significantly impacted the severity of SUI symptoms in this population (p < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified age, the number of vaginal deliveries, chronic constipation, anterior vaginal wall prolapse, a history of postpartum urinary incontinence, and the shape of the maximum urethral opening as independent factors influencing SUI severity in older women (p < 0.05). The results of the Hosmer-Lemeshow test indicate that the model fits well (p = 0.37). Conclusions: Age, the number of vaginal deliveries, anterior vaginal wall prolapse, a history of postpartum urinary incontinence, chronic constipation, and a funnel-shaped maximum urethral opening are associated with increased severity of SUI symptoms in elderly women. The severity of SUI escalates with advancing age and an increased number of vaginal deliveries.
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