Why older community-dwelling adults do not discuss urinary incontinence with their primary care physicians

OBJECTIVES: This study explored reasons why older adults with urinary incon tinence (UI) do not initiate discussions with or seek treatment for UI from their primary care provider. DESIGN: A randomized, prospective controlled trial involving 41 primary car e sites. SETTING: Primary care practice sites. PARTICIPANTS: 49 older adults age 60 and older not previously screened for UI by their primary care doctor. MEASUREMENTS: Demographic data, self-reported bladder-control information u sing questionnaires, and health status. RESULTS: Adults who did not discuss UI were older, had less-frequent leakin g accidents and fewer nighttime voids and were less bothered by UI than tho se who did. The two main reasons why patients did not seek help were the pe rceptions that UI was not a big problem (45%) and was a normal part of agin g (19%). CONCLUSIONS: Embarrassment or lack of awareness of treatment options were n ot significant barriers to discussing UI. Adults with a fairly high frequen cy of UI (average of 1.7 episodes per day) did not view UI as abnormal or a serious medical condition.