Assessment of Urinary Incontinence treatment demand in physically active women group

da Silva Coelho J1, Vasconcelos Neto J2, Teixeira Moreira Vasconcelos C1, Mendes Alves F1

Research Type

Clinical

Abstract Category

Female Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTS) / Voiding Dysfunction

Abstract 606
Open Discussion ePosters
Scientific Open Discussion Session 105
Thursday 24th October 2024
14:50 - 14:55 (ePoster Station 3)
Exhibition Hall
Female Incontinence Questionnaire
1. Universidade Federal do Ceará, 2. Universidade Federal do Caerá
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Links

Poster

Abstract

Hypothesis / aims of study
The regular physical activities benefits for body and mind are broadly known. However some women remain deprived of them because urinary incontinence symptoms which could be triggered or complicated by certain exercise modalities [1,2].
Urinary Incontinence is a underreported condition. The social stigma related to women's lack of knowledge about therapeutic alternatives is thought to be an important cause of underreporting.
This study aims to asses the demand of women who work out at gym for urinary incontinence treatment as well as to understand the factors that influence women's decisions on whether they seek medical treatment for urinary incontinence.
Study design, materials and methods
This is a descriptive cross-sectional study associated with the KAP Survey, carried out in gyms from March to July 2022 after Ethical approval.
A subscale extracted from the validated instrument called KAP-IU was used as research instrument [3]. This subscale evaluates the participants' responses regarding the search for professional help, the guidance received from professionals and which treatments were carried out in women with urinary complaints.
The following inclusion criteria were established: women over 18 years of age who have been exercising for at least 6 consecutive months. Pregnant women and those with difficulty understanding instructions were excluded from the study.
Open-epi 3.01 was used for sample calculation. The parameters settled for sample calculation was same for cross-sectional studies with a finite population. The confidence interval was 95% with a 5% margin of error and a prevalence estimate of 50%. In order to be representative, the total sample estimated was 256 women. The participants were included in the study after signing the Free and Informed Consent Form (TCLE).
Results
From total sample 110 women (43,3%) had urinary incontinence (UI) symptoms. The median’s participants age was 33 years with a range between 18 and 67 years old. Most of them were single (59,8%) with brown skin (61,7%) and an adequate corporal mass index (24,69 median, with a range between 22,68 and 27,07). Most of them had a good education higher level (96,48%) and a monthly income above US$ 387,32.
A significant part of this women group had never sought treatment for their urinary incontinence symptoms (table1). In fact, some participants did not consider the treatment necessary (27.03%) while other did not experience frequent urine loss (22.9%) (figure 1).
Among women who sought assistance (29.5%), 22.6% reported not having received any guidance from health professionals. Among the 77.4% who received guidance, the majority (45.8%) were advised to perform pelvic floor muscle training. All of them reported had followed recommendation.
Sociodemographic and obstetric data as well as parameters related to physical activity were compared with the treatment subscale in order to verify the presence of factors that influenced the treatment practice in relation to UI.
Among the variables analyzed, only marital status and the number of pregnancies were statistically associated with inadequate treatment practice. Single women and those with fewer pregnancies were those who least sought help to treat UI (64.47%).
Interpretation of results
Urinary incontinence proved to be prevalent, affecting 43% of participants. Surprisingly, a large proportion (70.5%) of these women said they had never sought help to treat this condition. The most common reasons for this negligence were the perception of not needing to seek help and infrequent urinary leaks. Furthermore, we noticed that single women and those with fewer pregnancies were more likely to adopt inappropriate practices, probably because they had milder symptoms.
Concluding message
The results obtained in this study highlight the need to increase awareness about the importance of treating urinary incontinence among women who exercise, especially among those who may be at greater risk of adopting inappropriate practices, such as single women and those with fewer pregnancies. This illustrates the intrinsic complexity of behavioral changes and the need for continuous educational approaches, supported by effective strategies for screening urinary incontinence and encouraging adherence to preventive and treatment actions.
Figure 1 Figure 1 - Distribution of responses (n = 74) regarding the justification for not seeking help to treat urine loss.
Figure 2 Table 1 - Distribution of responses from the practice (treatment) subscale for UI of women with UI (n = 105).
References
  1. ALVES, Jessica Oliveira et al. Urinary incontinence in physically active young women: prevalence and related factors. International journal of sports medicine, v. 38, n. 12, p. 937-941, 2017.
  2. DE MATTOS LOURENCO, Thais Regina, MATSUOKA, P. K., BARACAT, E. C., & HADDAD, J. M. Urinary incontinence in female athletes: a systematic review. International urogynecology journal, v. 29, n. 12, p. 1757-1763, 2018.
  3. RIBEIRO, Gabriela Lima et al. Scale of pregnant women’s assessment of knowledge, attitude and practice related to urinary incontinence. International Urogynecology Journal, v. 33, n. 6, p. 1503-1509, 2021.
Disclosures
Funding None Clinical Trial No Subjects Human Ethics Committee Federal University of Ceará Committee: CAAE: 55341322.5.0000.5054 Helsinki Yes Informed Consent Yes
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