Risk factors for postpartum stress urinary incontinence: a prospective study

Postpartum stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a common occurrence in women, and it has a profound effect on women's health and quality of life. This study aimed to investigate the risk factors for postpartum SUI and the relative importance of each factor, including pelvic floor ultrasound measurement data and clinical data.

Pregnant women who delivered in our hospital from March 2021 to January 2022 were selected as the study population. The clinical and anatomical Data from women with SUI and those without SUI were collected and analyzed. The clinical and anatomical risk factors associated with postpartum SUI were identified using univariate and multivariate analyses.

A total of 255 participants were recruited. Logistic regression analysis indicated that age (OR:1.215, 95% CI:1.097-1.346, P < 0.001), vaginal delivery (OR:3.05, 95% CI:1.328-7.016, P < 0.009), parity (OR:3.059, 95% CI:1.506-6.216, P < 0.002), bladder neck descent (OR:4.159, 95% CI: 2.010-8.605, P < 0.001), the angle of the internal urethral orifice funnel (OR:1.133, 95% CI:1.091-1.176, P < 0.001) were important independent risk factors for postpartum SUI (all P < 0.05). The AUC was 0.883 (95% CI: 0.839-0.926) in the model.

Age, vaginal delivery, parity, bladder neck descent and the angle of the internal urethral orifice funnel are independent risk factors for postpartum SUI. To prevent the occurrence of postpartum SUI, high-risk factors of postpartum SUI should be identified as early as possible during pregnancy and after delivery, and postpartum pelvic floor rehabilitation training should be promoted.