Prevalence rate of urinary incontinence in community-dwelling elderly individuals: The Veneto study

Background. Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common problem in elderly people , due mainly to functional impair ments and concurrent medical diseases. Fe w studies, however, have assessed the prevalence of UI in noninstitutionali zed individuals. The objectives of the present work were to estimate the pr evalence of UI in a community-based population of elderly Italians and to d etermine the associated physical, social, and psychological factors. Methods. A random sample of noninstitutionalized men (n = 847) and women (n = 1531), aged 65 years and older, from the Veneto region of northeastern I taly, were interviewed at home, using an extensive multidisciplinary questi onnaire, to assess their quality of life and social, biological, and psycho logical correlates. Results. The prevalence rate of UI was of 11.2% among men and of 21.6% amon g women. Among those reporting the condition, approximately 53% of women an d 59% of men reported experiencing incontinence daily or weekly. Associatio n of UT was found for participants older than 70 years in both men (odds ra tio [OR] 2.49, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.45-4.28) and women (OR 1.49, 95% CI 1.11-2.02). Three of the medical conditions investigated were associ ated with increases in the odds in women, namely chronic obstructive pulmon ary disease (OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.11-2.12) Parkinsonism (OR 2.27, 95% CI 1.14- 4.54), and hip fracture (OR 1.38, 95% Cl 1.02-1.88), whereas chronic diarrh ea was the only condition associated with UI in men (OR 6.92, 95% CI 2.22-2 1.5). Participants with a physical disability were two times more likely to report incontinence, and the odds were increased by 50% in women who had s leep disturbances. Conclusions. Incontinence is highly prevalent in the Italian elderly popula tion, and several common chronic conditions are significantly associated wi th it, Moreover, very few people with incontinence seek health care or are aware of potential treatments.