Urinary Incontinence Knowledge and Information Sources Among College Women: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Although urinary incontinence (UI) is highly prevalent among women, treatment seeking remains low, in part due to limited knowledge of the condition. Awareness and knowledge of pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) among young women in the United States remains poorly characterized despite growing interest in early pelvic floor health education. This study aimed to assess baseline knowledge of UI, identify sources of information, and evaluate predictors of higher knowledge among female undergraduate students.

We administered an online survey to 175 female undergraduates at a single institution that included year in school, background knowledge items, and the validated Prolapse and Incontinence Knowledge Quiz (PIKQ-UI). Responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multivariable linear regression.

Although 54.9% of respondents reported prior awareness of PFD, we found that overall knowledge was poor (57.7% correct), significantly below the 80% competency threshold (p < 0.001). Online and social media platforms were the most reported sources of information (42.9%). Prior knowledge of UI was independently associated with higher PIKQ-UI scores (p = 0.03), whereas advancing year in school, personal UI history, and familiarity with someone affected by UI were not associated with higher performance. Knowledge gaps were most pronounced regarding age-related risk, treatment, and diagnostic testing (43%, 49%, 48% correct, respectively). Nearly all participants (91.4%) expressed interest in learning more about PFD.

Despite widespread exposure to pelvic floor health information through online and social media sources, knowledge of UI among female undergraduate students remained low. Although prior awareness of UI was associated with higher knowledge scores, substantial gaps persisted, suggesting that exposure alone does not translate into understanding. Leveraging online platforms to deliver accurate, evidence-based education may improve pelvic floor health literacy and reduce the burden of untreated UI.