Resilience in Women with Stress Urinary Incontinence

Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common and complex health issue among women that can profoundly impact their quality of life. Resilience plays a crucial role in coping with UI. The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors associated with positive thinking and resilience among women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI).

This cross-sectional study recruited women diagnosed with SUI through convenience sampling from an obstetrics and gynecology outpatient department and a urodynamics room. Data were collected via a structured questionnaire covering demographics, UI-related variables, self-efficacy, positive thinking, and resilience. Analyses included t-tests, ANOVA, Pearson correlations, and multiple linear regression.

A total of 107 women participated in this study, with a mean age of 54.7 years and an average urinary leakage duration of 53.9 months. The mean score on the Positive Thinking Scale was 68.13 (range 25-88), and the average Resilience Scale score was 27.94 (range 3-40). Regression analysis revealed that greater happiness, perceived economic sufficiency, and shorter UI duration were significantly associated with higher levels of positive thinking. Furthermore, higher levels of positive thinking, self-efficacy for UI, and happiness were significantly associated with greater resilience.

The resilience of women with SUI is influenced by their psychological coping abilities (positive thinking and self-efficacy) and mental health status. This study provides a deeper understanding of the resilience of women with SUI and offers valuable insights for the design of future psychological interventions for SUI patients.