Concordance between one-hour pad test and subjective assessment of stress incontinence

To examine the concordance among the 1-hour pad test results, subjective questions regarding incontinence, and a quality-of-life questionnaire to assess the role of the pad test as a noninvasive measurement tool in clinical trials. The 1-hour nonstandard pad test is one of several quantitative tools used to measure urinary incontinence; however, its utility has been questioned.

The study subjects were women participating in 2 clinical trials evaluating noninvasive interventions: circular muscle exercises versus pelvic floor muscle training for urinary incontinence. The quantity of urinary leakage according to the pad test and questions regarding subjective urinary leakage from the quality-of-life questionnaire were evaluated for all study subjects combined and in subgroups.

A total of 731 clinical pad tests were evaluated from the 2 trials. Significant associations were found between several questions regarding subjective leakage and the pad test results in the study subgroups. A significant correlation was seen between the pad test results and the quality-of-life questionnaire scores (r = 0.14 before intervention and r = 0.42 after intervention in the combined studies; P < .05).

The 1-hour pad test demonstrated concordance with subjective assessment tools for urinary incontinence and should be considered a part of the armamentarium for assessing the severity of this condition.