A Prospective Study of the Association between Physical Activity and Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms in Parous Middle-Aged Women: Results from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children

Purpose: We examined prospective associations between physical activity and a range of lower urinary tract symptoms in parous middle-aged women. Materials and Methods: We used prospectively collected data on women participating in the ALSPAC (Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children). Physical activity levels were self-reported at a mean +/- SD age of 37.2 +/- 4.6 years and translated into MET hours per week. A total of 4,126 and 2,770 women reported symptoms of lower urinary tract symptoms, including stress, urgency and mixed incontinence, at 3 and 11.5 years of followup, respectively. Results: The prevalence of any lower urinary tract symptoms at 3 and 11.5 years of followup was 15% and 23% at a mean age of 40.5 and 49.3 years, respectively. At 3 years of followup women in the highest category of physical activity (43.2 MET hours or more per week) had lower odds of stress incontinence (aOR 0.51, 95% CI 0.32-0.80) than women in the lowest category (0 MET hours per week). At 11.5 years of followup women in the highest category of physical activity had lower odds of stress incontinence (aOR 0.56, 95% CI 0.39-0.82), urgency incontinence (aOR 0.34, 95% CI 0.20-0.67) and mixed incontinence (aOR 0.34, 95% CI 0.19-0.63) compared to women in the lowest physical activity category. Conclusions: Greater physical activity is associated with reduced odds of lower urinary tract symptoms, especially stress incontinence, among middle-aged parous women. Further research is necessary to examine the impact of different types of physical activity on lower urinary tract symptoms.