The psychosocial impact of urinary incontinence in women age 25-45 years

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to describe the relationship between symptoms of urinary incontinence and their impact on daily activities, and the degree of incontinence-related distress perceived by 25-to 45-year-old women. A second purpose was to identify differences, if any, in impact on daily life and degree of incontinence-related distress perceived among women with stress, urge and mixed incontinence. Guided by Lazarus and Folkman's (1984) Stress, Appraisal and Coping Theory, a descriptive correlational prospective study (N=35) was conducted using the Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI) and the Incontinence Impact Questionnaire (IIQ) . A significant moderate (r-5701, p=.000) correlation was found between urinary incontinence symptoms and their impact on travel, social, physical and emotional activities. No significant differences were found among women with stress, urge and mixed urinary incontinence and the impact of incontinence symptoms on their daily activities or with their perceived degree of incontinence-related distress.