Nursing students' knowledge and attitudes toward urinary incontinence: A cross-sectional survey

Nurses must have adequate knowledge to manage the complexities of urinary incontinence. Nursing students are the nurses of the future, yet little is known about urinary incontinence education in undergraduate nursing programs.

The aim of this study was (a) to assess the knowledge and attitudes of urinary incontinence held by undergraduate nursing students in China and (b) to explore the relationship between knowledge, attitudes and socio-demographic characteristics.

A cross-sectional survey using cluster random sampling.

Undergraduate departments of Nursing within the Faculty of Health Sciences at six Universities, located in different areas of China.

A random selection of 6 faculties with a total of 1313 full time undergraduate nursing students completed the survey.

Self-reported data were collected using two validated questionnaires, the Urinary Incontinence Knowledge Scale and the Urinary Incontinence Attitude Scale, to access students' knowledge and attitudes toward urinary incontinence.

Overall urinary incontinence knowledge was poor (49.9%, 15.0/30) and attitudes about urinary incontinence were generally positive (71.7%, 43.0/60). A high level of interest in learning more about urinary incontinence was found. There was a weak correlation between urinary incontinence knowledge and attitudes (r=0.135, p<0.01). There was also a significant positive correlation between urinary incontinence knowledge and attitudes and nursing students' year of study, urinary incontinence education and training, and formal clinical practicum experience in urology (p<0.05).

Chinese nursing students showed poor urinary incontinence knowledge but generally positive attitudes toward urinary incontinence. This study suggests there is a need to examine urinary incontinence content throughout undergraduate nursing curricula in China.