Potential risk factors associated with stress urinary incontinence among Iranian women

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is considered as one of the major hygienic problems among women. The main aim of the study is to assess the potential risk factors associated with SUI among Iranian women.

This study was conducted on 90 married women with history of SUI diagnosed by an urologist and were selected randomly. Their pelvic muscles contraction (PMC) and the history of the subjects were assessed for some of risk factors such as age, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), pregnancy history, miscarriage, type of delivery (normal vaginal delivery or cesarean section), number of offspring born healthy in addition to other risk factors such as chronic cough, constipation and hypothyroidism by use of POP Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient and SPSS version 18 Software.

There was a significant relation between SUI and height (P < 0.05, r = 0.45), vaginal delivery (NVD) (P < 0.05, r = 0.2), number of genitourinary surgery (P < 0.05, r = 0.42), hypothyroidism and constipation (P < 0.05). An inverse relatively strong significant relation was found between SUI and cesarean section (P < 0.05, r = -0.50) No significant relation was found between SUI and weight, BMI, age, chronic cough and miscarriage, and other study parameters. An inverse significant relation between PMC and weight (P < 0.05, r = -0.52), BMI (P < 0.05, r = -0.42) and number of genitourinary surgery (P < 0.05, r = -0.18).

Cesarean section had a preventive effect on SUI versus normal vaginal delivery. The rate of SUI was higher in taller women or those suffering from hypothyroidism or constipation or who had genitourinary surgery. The women with high BMI had lower pelvic floor muscles strength.