Prevalence of Incontinence in the Black Women's Health Study

Area of Science:

• Epidemiology
• Public Health
• Women's Health

Background:

• Previous epidemiological studies have estimated incontinence prevalence in US women, but lacked specific data for Black women.
• The Black Women's Health Study (BWHS) provides a unique cohort for examining incontinence in this demographic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To estimate the prevalence of urinary (UI), fecal (FI), and dual (DI) incontinence in a large cohort of self-identified Black women.
• To extrapolate these prevalence findings to the broader population of Black women in the USA using 2020 US Census data.

Main Methods:

• Prevalence of UI, FI, and DI was assessed in the BWHS cohort using questionnaire data from 2011.
• Age-specific prevalences were standardized using 2020 US Census weights to extrapolate findings to US Black women.
• Analyses were conducted using R version 4.3.

Main Results:

• Approximately 50.6% of participants reported experiencing UI at least annually.
• Among post-menopausal women, 14% reported any FI and 10% reported DI.
• Extrapolated estimates indicate over 5.6 million Black women aged 35+ in the USA have UI, 784,529 have FI, and 608,710 have DI.

Conclusions:

• Prevalence estimates for UI, FI, and DI in community-dwelling Black women are higher than previously reported.
• These findings suggest a significant public health burden, with over five million Black women in the USA affected by these conditions.
• Further research and targeted interventions are warranted to address incontinence in this population.