Urinary incontinence among women registered with a family health center in the Southeastern Anatolia region and the factors affecting its prevalence

Abstract

Background/aim: In regions such as Şanlıurfa, Turkey, where the fertility rate is high, suitable health policies to easily and successfully treat urinary incontinence (UI) are needed. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and risk factors for UI among women in the region. Materials and methods: The participants in this cross-sectional study were selected by using 30 cluster sampling methods. A total of 300 women in the age group of 15-49 years were contacted to participate. Results: The prevalence of UI was 39.3% among women in this sample but only 8.0% actually received treatment. The logistic regression analysis showed that UI risk is increased 1.8 times by chronic diseases, 2.7 times by menopause, 3.4 times by uterine prolapse, and 9.12 times by cystocele. Conclusion: UI is a common health problem among the women in the study region; however, these women do not actively seek treatment for this problem.