Twenty-four hour pad weighing test: reproducibility and dependency of activity level and fluid intake

To evaluate the reproducibility of the 24 hour pad weighing test and the possible influence of fluid intake and level of activity to the test result, 14 women, referred for operation because of urinary incontinence, performed six 24 hour pad tests each under the following conditions: 2 tests on normal daily activity level and on normal fluid intake, 2 tests on high vs. low activity level, and 2 tests on high vs. low fluid intake. The study concludes that the results of the 24 hour pad weighing test are reproducible with moderate variation in fluid intake and activity level. Artificially low fluid intake or extreme variations in activity level could, however, significantly alter the urinary leakage. Small variations in fluid intake and activity level have no effect on the test result.