Related Experiment Videos
Managing urinary incontinence across the lifespan.
Yvette D Miller1, Wendy J Brown, Nadine Smith
1School of Human Movement Studies, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia. ymiller@hms.uq.edu.au
International Journal of Behavioral Medicine
|May 24, 2003
Summary
Many women manage urinary incontinence (UI) themselves, often through avoidance strategies like limiting fluids. While most women experiencing frequent UI seek help, a significant portion do not, believing they can manage it or that it isn't a serious problem.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Women's Health
- Urology
Background:
- Urinary incontinence (UI) affects a substantial percentage of mid-age and older women.
- Self-management and help-seeking behaviors for UI vary significantly across age groups.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore self-management strategies for UI in women.
- To identify reasons for not seeking professional help for UI.
- To examine healthcare consultations and treatment satisfaction for UI.
Main Methods:
- A follow-up survey was mailed to 500 mid-age and older women from the Australian Longitudinal Study of Women's Health (ALSWH) who reported frequent UI.
- Data collected included UI details, self-management behaviors, help-seeking, healthcare consultations, treatments, and satisfaction.
Main Results:
- Most surveyed women experienced UI in the past month, with over 70% seeking help, increasing with severity.
- Common reasons for not seeking help included self-perceived ability to manage or underestimation of the problem.
- Avoidance strategies like reduced fluid intake and "just in case" toileting were prevalent.
Conclusions:
- While many women with UI seek help, a notable proportion do not, often due to self-management beliefs or minimizing the issue.
- Avoidance behaviors are common self-management techniques for UI.
- Understanding barriers to help-seeking is crucial for improving UI management in women.