Factors Influencing the Prevalence of Urinary Incontinence in Women and its Impact on Sexual Quality of Life

Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of urinary incontinence (UI) in women aged 18 years and over, identify factors influencing UI, and explore its relationship with sexual quality of life. Materials and Methods:This cross-sectional study involved 780 women. Sociodemographic Data Form, the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire - Short Form (ICIQ-SF), and the Sexual Quality of Life - Female (SQOL-F) were utilized. Results: The mean age of the women was 37.2 +/- 10.8 years, with 76.7% being married. The prevalence rates were 29.2% for any UI, 12.3% for stress urinary incontinence (SUI), 7.8% for urge urinary incontinence (UUI), and 9.1% for mixed urinary incontinence (MUI). A higher incidence of UI was observed in women who were older, had a higher Body Mass Index (BMI), lower education levels, lower monthly income, were unemployed, suffered from chronic diseases, were married, had children, had a family history of UI, and had a history of giving birth to macrosomic babies. The presence of UI was 2.6 times higher (p=0.004) in women aged 50-64, 5.9 times higher (p<0.001) in women with a family history of UI, and 2.2 times higher (p=0.018) in women who had one child. The mean SQOL-F scale score for sexually active women was 84.3 +/- 19.2. Women with any UI had a lower SQOL-F scale mean score (p=0.002), indicating a negative impact of UI on the SQOL-F scale score (p=0.006). Conclusion: UI was found to be a common health problem among women, particularly in the older age groups, and it adversely affects sexual quality of life.