Do levels of self-efficacy affect urinary incontinence, falls, quality of life, sleep, and physical activity in elderly people with urinary incontinence?

Background Our study aims to determine whether different self-efficacy (SE) levels affect urinary incontinence symptoms, falls, quality of life, sleep, and physical activity in elderly individuals with incontinence. Our secondary aim is to examine the relationship between SE levels and urinary incontinence severity, quality of life, sleep status, fear of falling, and physical activity level. Methods One hundred twenty elderly individuals (median age: 71 years) with urinary incontinence participated in the cross-sectional study. Participants were divided into 3 groups as levels of low, moderate, and high according to their Geriatric SE Index for Urinary Incontinence (GSE-UI). Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI-6), Incontinence Impact Questionnaire (IIQ-7), Incontinence Quality of Life Scale (I-QOL), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Fall Efficacy Scale (FES), Rapid Assessment Physical Activity (RAPA), and International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF) assessments associated with incontinence were performed. Data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis tests, and Spearman's correlation. Results A significant difference was found in UDI-6, IIQ-7, I-QOL, and FES belonging to three groups according to GSE-UI levels (p <0.01, p <0.01, p <0.01). It was determined that the group with low GSE-UI level had the highest incontinence symptoms, fear of falling, and the lowest quality of life statistically significant. A negative moderate significant correlation was found between GSE-UI scores and UDI-6 (r: - .67, p <0.01), IIQ-7 (r: - .67, p <0.01), and FES (r: - .46, p <0.01). Conclusion In elderly individuals with urinary incontinence, the level of SE may affect incontinence symptoms, severity, fear of falling, and quality of life and may be an important factor for incontinence. An increased level of SE may lead to positive effects on the user interface. Further studies in this field are needed.