Identifying the risk factors for developing incontinence: can we modify individual risk?

Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common but often misunderstood problem. Newer treatments are being developed and examined, but prevention of incontinence rarely is addressed in the medical literature. This article reviews the current literature on risk factors for developing UI and raises the question, "Can patient education or nursing intervention reduce the incidence of incontinence by identifying and modifying risk factors?"