Risk factors of female urinary incontinence and overactive bladder in Thai postmenopausal women

To assess the risk factors of stress incontinence (SUI), Urge incontinence (UI), mixed type incontinence (MUI) and overactive bladder (OAB) in Thai postmenopausal women.

A total of 360 Thai post menopausal women (60 had SUI, 60 had UI, 60 had MUI, 60 had OAB, and 120 were controls). All women attended the gynecologic clinic at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital during January-June 2004. All cases and controls were given questionaires on the risk factors of age, body mass index (BMI), years since menopause, alcohol intake, routes and number of deliveries, history of chronic cough and constipation, and current hormonal therapy use. The multivariate logistic model was used to identified the independent risk factors and female urinary incontinence and OAB.

In multivariate analysis, no factor was associated in UI or OAB group. In the SUI and MUI group, only the history of chronic cough [in SUI gr: OR 1.6 (1.1-2.3) in MUI gr: OR 3.5 (1.2-10.4)] and history of chronic functional constipation [in SUI group or 4.7 (1.5-14.7), in MUI or 3.0 (1.1-7.9)].

Chronic cough and chronic functional constipation were the associated risk factors in stress and mixed type incontinence in Thai postmenopausal women.