Survey on disease insight and prevalence of urinary incontinence in women

With a rapidly aging population in Korea, the number of patients with lower urinary tract symptoms is increasing. Therefore, it is important to determine the current extent of incontinence among Korean women to establish future plans. We attempted to create reference materials for organizing public relations and educational activities by investigating the effect of age on incontinence and quality of life in women.

The participants comprised women aged 30 years and older who visited a tertiary center for health screening from September 1 to October 31, 2016. The survey included a questionnaire consisting of 12 questions that took approximately 10 minutes to complete. We analyzed the responses and assessed the prevalence of the disease and its rate of recognition.

A total of 509 women completed the survey. Irrespective of age, 76.8% of all respondents were aware of urinary incontinence (UI) and 57.4% of the women exhibited lower urinary tract symptoms. The most prevalent symptom was UI (45.8%), and the incidence rates of stress and urge UI were identified as 33.6% and 12.2%, respectively. Only 8.0% of the women had visited a hospital; 38.3% had awaited spontaneous symptom improvement. Many participants (61.2%) answered that a urology clinic is suitable for treating UI, while 58.9% chose a gynecology clinic.

Our study showed that more than 75% of women are aware of UI, but their perception of the disease mechanism and treatment options was low. We suggest that continuous education and publicity are necessary.