Incontinência Urinária: Prevalência e Fatores de Risco em Mulheres em uma Unidade Básica de Saúde

Abstract

The International Continence Society defi nes urinary incontinence as a complaint of any involuntary loss of urine. This study aimed at estimating the prevalence of urinary incontinence; identifying risk factors associated with its occurrence, as well as tracing the sociodemographic and clinical profi le of women attending the Gynecology Outpatient Clinic of a Basic Health Unit in Teresina, Piauí, Brazil. This was a cross-sectional, exploratory and descriptive study, with a quantitative approach. The study included 306 women aged between 20 and 83 years old. A structured form composed of sociodemographic and clinical data was used as a research tool. A descriptive statistical analysis was conducted, based on the frequency distribution and percentages of variables, using measures of central tendency and dispersion, the χ2 test with a 5% signifi cance level to determine possible associations between the issues established in the specifi c research objectives. The prevalence of urinary incontinence was of 40.8%. Most participants presented stress urinary incontinence (60.0%), followed by urge incontinence (28.2%), and mixed urinary incontinence (12.1%). Mulatto women predominated (64.8%), women with neurological disorders (72.2%), diabetes (63.6%) and hypertension (58.1%), who underwent pelvic and abdominal surgeries (66.7%), obese (52.2%) and smokers (72.2%). The study enabled knowing the situation of urinary incontinence in women seen in the Primary Care, thus showing similar results to those in literature, contributing with relevant and original information about the urinary incontinence that can awaken in public health professionals and managers the need of greater attention to this clientele, regarding prevention and quality of life improvement.