Prevalence of Urinary Incontinence in Chilean older people and impact on quality of life: National Survey

Abstract

Introduction and objectives: Due to its epidemiological and pathophysiological characteristics, urinary incontinence (UI) is a pathology which greatly affects older adults. The reported prevalence for this group in Chile, specifically, ranges from 12.2 to 30%. The objective of this study was to evaluate, at the national level, the prevalence of UI in older people living in the community; analyze and describe whether those who experience UI perceive diminished quality of life, using the physical and mental subscales of the SF-36 questionnaire to evaluate. Methods: Cross-sectional, analytical study conducted on a nationally, regionally and urban-rural representative sample of Chilean people aged 60 and over, who residents of the community. The analysis was performed using STATA 15.0 software. Results: This study of 4,186 older Chilean adults found the prevalence of UI to be 12.1%, with higher frequency in women than in men (15.2% v / s 7.1%, respectively, p <0, 0001). Association analysis showed that UI negatively affects perceptions of the subject's own physical and mental quality of life. Quality of life, measured using SF-36, showed lower scores for incontinent people and, of the older adults who report normal, bad or very bad quality of life, 50% present UI. Conclusion: UI is associated with a perception of diminished in the quality of life in older Chilean people living in the community.