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Nocturnal incontinence in women: a hidden problem
L V Swithinbank1, J L Donovan, C A Rogers
1Urodynamic Unit and Department of Urology, Bristol Urological Institute, Southmead Hospital, Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol, United Kingdom.
Purpose:
We determined the prevalence of nocturnal incontinence and its association with other storage symptoms in a community population of women
Materials And Methods:
We mailed the validated self-reporting Bristol female lower urinary tract symptom questionnaire to all 2,641 women 19 years old or older registered at a family physician practice in a major British city and analyzed the results. Main outcome measures were the prevalence of nocturnal incontinence and its correlation with other storage symptoms.
Results:
A total of 2,075 completed questionnaires (80%) were returned. The overall prevalence of nocturnal incontinence was 5.8%. However, the majority of women had nocturnal incontinence only occasionally and only 1% had it more than a third of the time. The prevalence of nocturnal incontinence increased in a linear fashion with age (chi-square test for linear trend p <0.005). Of the women with nocturnal incontinence 69% considered it troublesome. The odds of nocturnal incontinence were significantly increased when urge and stress incontinence, incontinence with no obvious cause, urgency, straining and nocturia were reported.
Conclusions:
Nocturnal incontinence in women is more common than generally supposed and troublesome. The rate of nocturnal incontinence increases with coexisting storage symptoms.