Body mass index, recreational physical activity and female urinary incontinence in Gansu, China

To elucidate the influence of recreational physical activity, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference on the risk of specific types of urinary incontinence.

We conducted a population-based cross-sectional survey in Gansu, China among 2603 women aged 20 years or older.

The study found that BMI was positively associated with urinary incontinence (P for trend=0.008) and the association was mainly observed for stress urinary incontinence (OR=1.4, 95% CI: 1.1, 1.9 for BMI=24.0-27.9 kg/m²; OR=2.3, 95% CI: 1.5, 3.6 for BMI ≥ 28.0 kg/m²; P for trend=0.0005). A positive association between stress incontinence (OR=1.7, 95% CI: 1.2, 2.5) and waist circumference was observed for women who had waist circumference between 70 cm and 75 cm compared to waist circumference less than 70 cm. Recreational physical activity was inversely associated with overall and mixed urinary incontinence (P for trend <0.0001 for both). A significant interaction between physical activity and waist circumference was found for overall (P=0.0007) and stress incontinence (P=0.001).

The findings that physical activity inversely associated with urinary incontinence and its interaction with waist circumference warrant further investigation, particularly in prospective studies.