Urinary incontinence 6 weeks to 1 year post-partum: prevalence, experience of bother, beliefs, and help-seeking behavior

• Published in: International Urogynecology Journal Vol. 32; no. 7; pp. 1817 - 1824
• Main Authors: Moossdorff-Steinhauser, Heidi F. A., Berghmans, Bary C. M., Spaanderman, Marc E. A., Bols, Esther M. J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.07.2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Gynecology; Help seeking behavior; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Original; Original Article; Pelvis; Physical therapists; Postpartum period; Quality of life; Questionnaires; Social networks; Urinary incontinence; Urine; Urogenital system; Urology; Womens health; Netherlands; Urinary incontinence; Post-partum; Pelvic floor muscle exercises; Prevalence; Help-seeking; Quality of life
• ISSN: 0937-3462; 1433-3023
• DOI: 10.1007/s00192-020-04644-3

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.