TY - JOUR
T1 - Urinary incontinence 6 weeks to 1 year post-partum: prevalence, experience of bother, beliefs, and help-seeking behavior
AU - Moossdorff-Steinhauser, H.F.A.
AU - Berghmans, B.C.M.
AU - Spaanderman, M.E.A.
AU - Bols, E.M.J.
N1 - Funding Information:
We would like to thank all midwifery and physiotherapy practices for sharing the social media message for the recruitment of women and the women for completing the survey. We also thank Mrs. Julia J. Herbert MSc. for checking the English language.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s).
PY - 2021/7
Y1 - 2021/7
N2 - Introduction and hypothesis Post-partum, women often experience urinary incontinence (UI). However, the association between experienced UI bother and UI beliefs and help-seeking behavior is less known. Therefore, we aim to investigate the prevalence of self-reported UI, the level of experienced bother and beliefs, to explain help-seeking behavior for UI in women in the Netherlands from 6 weeks to one year post-partum. Methods A digital survey among post-partum women, shared on social media, was used for recruitment. The survey consists of: 1. demographic variables, 2. International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ-UI SF), 3. ICIQ Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Quality of Life (ICIQ-LUTSqol), and 4. questions on beliefs and help-seeking behavior. For analysis, descriptive statistics and the independent samples t-test were used to determine differences between help- and non-help-seekers. Results 415 women filled in the survey. The mean age was 30.6 years (SD 4.0, range 21-40) of which 48.2% was primiparous. The overall prevalence of UI was 57.1% (95% confidence interval (CI) (52.3-61.8)). Primiparous women reported a statistically significantly lower overall prevalence than multiparous women, 52.0% and 61.9% respectively (p = .043). UI was reported as bothersome in 38% of women, 25% of all women sought help. Help-seeking women showed significantly higher scores for bother, measured by the ICIQ-UI SF, than non-help seekers (p = .001). Conclusions More than half of all post-partum women in the Netherlands from 6 weeks to one year post childbirth experience UI (57.1%), 38% classified their UI as bothersome. In total 25% of UI women sought professional help.
AB - Introduction and hypothesis Post-partum, women often experience urinary incontinence (UI). However, the association between experienced UI bother and UI beliefs and help-seeking behavior is less known. Therefore, we aim to investigate the prevalence of self-reported UI, the level of experienced bother and beliefs, to explain help-seeking behavior for UI in women in the Netherlands from 6 weeks to one year post-partum. Methods A digital survey among post-partum women, shared on social media, was used for recruitment. The survey consists of: 1. demographic variables, 2. International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ-UI SF), 3. ICIQ Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Quality of Life (ICIQ-LUTSqol), and 4. questions on beliefs and help-seeking behavior. For analysis, descriptive statistics and the independent samples t-test were used to determine differences between help- and non-help-seekers. Results 415 women filled in the survey. The mean age was 30.6 years (SD 4.0, range 21-40) of which 48.2% was primiparous. The overall prevalence of UI was 57.1% (95% confidence interval (CI) (52.3-61.8)). Primiparous women reported a statistically significantly lower overall prevalence than multiparous women, 52.0% and 61.9% respectively (p = .043). UI was reported as bothersome in 38% of women, 25% of all women sought help. Help-seeking women showed significantly higher scores for bother, measured by the ICIQ-UI SF, than non-help seekers (p = .001). Conclusions More than half of all post-partum women in the Netherlands from 6 weeks to one year post childbirth experience UI (57.1%), 38% classified their UI as bothersome. In total 25% of UI women sought professional help.
KW - help-seeking
KW - pelvic floor muscle exercises
KW - post-partum
KW - prevalence
KW - quality of life
KW - urinary incontinence
KW - Urinary incontinence
KW - Post-partum
KW - Pelvic floor muscle exercises
KW - Prevalence
KW - Help-seeking
KW - Quality of life
U2 - 10.1007/s00192-020-04644-3
DO - 10.1007/s00192-020-04644-3
M3 - Article
C2 - 33484286
SN - 0937-3462
VL - 32
SP - 1817
EP - 1824
JO - International Urogynecology Journal
JF - International Urogynecology Journal
IS - 7
ER -