OBJECTIVES: To compare the findings of two surveys concerning the nature of urinary incontinence and management strategies used by full-time employed working women. METHODS: The first study was conducted in an urban academic setting with a survey distributed to 2000 women. The second study was conducted with 500 women in a rural pottery manufacturing facility. RESULTS: Twenty-one percent of the women working in an academic setting (group A) and 29% (p = 0.002) of the women working in a manufacturing setting (group B) reported being incontinent of urine at least monthly. More women in group B reported antecedents mixed incontinence (i.e., antecedent to both stress and urge incontinence). More women in group B also used panty liners to manage urine loss (p = 0.003), whereas more women in group A used voiding schedules (p = 0.008) and pelvic muscle exercises (p = 0.04). More women in group A reported that they did not know if their incontinence could improve (40% vs. 1%, p = 0.00). The majority in both groups said that getting treatment was of no or little importance, yet, overwhelmingly, most women (group A 81%; group B 86%) wanted more information about incontinence. CONCLUSIONS: Incontinence is a prevalent condition in working women. Discrepancies exist in the nature of the urine loss and strategies used to manage incontinence. Treatment also differs for those women who report urine loss to healthcare providers. Most women want to learn more about incontinence. Secondary prevention strategies need to be tailored and tested to meet symptoms and concerns for women in different work settings.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Risk factors for hospital-acquired incontinence in elderly female hip fracture patients.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to estimate the incidence of, and identify risk factors for, incontinence in female hip fracture patients. The study was a secondary analysis of data abstracted from medical records in hospitals in Pennsylvania, Texas, New Jersey, and Virginia. METHODS: The study included women aged 60 years and older who were admitted to one of the study hospitals with hip fracture. Measurements included incontinence at discharge as recorded in the medical records, demographic information, cognitive and functional status, and two measures of severity of illness (Charlson Comorbidity Index and Sickness at Admission Scale score). RESULTS: Data from 6516 women were analyzed. Twenty-one percent (n = 1365) became incontinent during hospitalization. After adjusting for confounders (i.e., age, race, malnutrition, comorbidity, and severity of illness), admission from a nursing home or other long-term care facility (odds ratio [OR] 1.68, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.29-2.19), confusion (OR 3.44, 95% CI 2.79-4.24), use of a wheelchair or device for walking (OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.29-1.83), and prefracture dependence on others for ambulation (OR 2.51, 95% CI 1.64-3.85) significantly increased the odds of developing incontinence during hospitalization. CONCLUSION: Hospital-acquired incontinence affects 21% of female hip fracture patients. Certain easily identifiable patient characteristics place female hip fracture patients at high risk. Interventions to increase staff awareness of this vulnerable population need to be tested to minimize the incidence of hospital-acquired incontinence.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2002

Primary prevention research on incontinence in older adults.

Primary prevention research on urinary incontinence in older adults is in its nascent phase. Most clinical research has focused on secondary or tertiary prevention, that is, testing interventions to cure, improve, or manage incontinence. When urinary incontinence is recognized as a public health issue, resources become available to reduce the risk of incontinence and prevent its occurrence. Methodological issues that face nurse researchers desiring to conduct primary prevention research include inadequate theory and outcome development, need for gender and culturally sensitive measurement instruments, and sampling and design issues. Rather than viewing primary prevention as a futile endeavor, nurse researchers must combine the roles of researcher and advocate, articulating the vision for primary prevention, and developing sound clinical studies to prevent urinary incontinence in the older adult population.

Aged↗

PubMed2002

The impact of urinary incontinence in working women: a study in a production facility.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to identify the impact of self-reported UI on working women, to describe urine loss symptoms, strategies used to control urine loss, and help-seeking behavior among full-time women working in a rural production facility. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey design was used and questionnaires were distributed to 500 women (response rate, 54%). Items elicited information on demographics, health, parity, symptoms and duration of urine loss, strategies to manage urine loss, effects of UI on work activities, level of knowledge about UI and treatment options, perceived importance of getting professional help, and actual help seeking behavior. RESULTS: Twenty-nine percent (n = 78) reported UI at least monthly. Incontinent women were older (44.8 years vs. 38.1 years) than continent women (t = -5.22, p < .001) and incontinent women had a significantly higher average body mass index (BMI) than continent women (t = -4.3, p < .001). More women reported urine loss with coughing, lifting, bending, and when hands were in water, and were more likely to use pads at work to control urine loss. Few women had reported UI to a health care provider (36%) and most wanted more information about UI (85%). CONCLUSIONS: UI is a prevalent problem for working women. Workplace programs designed to assist women with prevention, treatment, and management of UI are crucial.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Incontinence after prostatectomy: coping with incontinence after prostate cancer surgery.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To describe the nature of postprostatectomy urinary incontinence, determine how men manage postsurgery urinary incontinence, identify men's perceptions of adequacy of preoperative counseling, and identify men's expectations regarding the probability of postsurgery incontinence. DESIGN: Survey. SETTING: United States. SAMPLE: Members of US TOO International, who experienced urinary incontinence after surgery. METHODS: Copies of the survey (N = 370) were mailed to all chapters of US TOO International, a prostate cancer support group, for distribution to members. A letter of invitation also was posted on the US TOO International Web site and in the monthly newsletter. Men who desired to complete the survey (N = 130) called the researcher's office, and a copy of the survey and a stamped return envelope was mailed to them. Surveys returned to the researchers from June 1998 to January 1999 were included in the analyses. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES: Urinary incontinence, management of urinary incontinence, and coping. FINDINGS: 166 men returned surveys. The majority was Caucasian (95%) and married (83%). The median age was 67 years, 87% of the men rated their health as good or excellent, and 114 men (69%) reported becoming incontinent after surgery. Most men experienced stress incontinence symptoms. The majority (89 of 111 men) reported that they were told preoperatively that urinary incontinence was a possible complication. Overall, regardless of length of time since surgery, men (74%) thought that incontinence was an important problem to resolve. Men used containment devices such as pads, special undergarments, and even sanitary napkins as management strategies. The majority of men (54%) used pelvic muscle exercises, especially those who were fewer than two years postsurgery (72%). CONCLUSIONS: Urinary incontinence is a prevalent postoperative complication for men, even up to five years after surgery, and a source of great distress for some. Men reported stress and urge incontinence symptoms and used an array of strategies to contain their urine. Finding effective treatments for postprostatectomy urinary incontinence and receiving adequate information before surgery is important to these men. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: As the number of men who undergo surgical treatment for prostate cancer increases, nurses need to be equipped with the necessary knowledge and information to answer preoperative concerns and provide effective strategies for managing postoperative urinary incontinence.

Adaptation, Psychological↗