Association between urinary incontinence and depressive symptoms in overweight and obese women

The objective of the study was to determine the association between urinary incontinence (UI) and depressive symptoms.

The study was a cross-sectional study of 338 incontinent and overweight women at baseline in the Program to Reduce Incontinence by Diet and Exercise trial. Depressive symptoms were defined as a Beck Depression Inventory score of 10 or greater. UI frequency was determined by a 7-day voiding diary. Symptom bother and quality of life were determined using the Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI) and the Incontinence Impact Questionnaire (IIQ). Multivariable regression was used to estimate the association between UI and depressive symptoms.

Women with depressive symptoms (n = 101) reported a higher mean number of UI episodes per week (28 vs 23; P = .005) and higher (worse) mean scores on the UDI (176 vs 162; P = .02) and IIQ (136 vs 97; P < .001) compared with women without depressive symptoms. The risk of having depressive symptoms increased with each 7-episode increase in UI per week (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.10; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01-1.21), each 50-point increase in UDI (AOR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.01-1.60), and each 50-point increase in IIQ (AOR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.22-1.71).

Urinary incontinence frequency, symptom bother, and quality of life are independently associated with depressive symptoms in overweight and obese women.