Effects of parity and mode of delivery on urinary incontinence among postmenopausal women in Taiwan

Objective: To investigate the association between the prevalence of urinary incontinence and parity or mode of delivery among Taiwanese women aged 60 years or older. Methods: Between July 1999 and December 2000, a nationwide epidemiologic study was conducted in Taiwan among 2410 women selected by a multistage random sampling method. Face-to-face interviews with 1517 women were conducted. The relationship between the prevalence of urinary incontinence and the number of vaginal deliveries or number of cesarean deliveries was assessed by frequency and Pearson X² test using a significance level of less than 0.05. Logistic regression was used to investigate the significance of dichotomous dependent variables. Results: Decades ago, most Taiwanese women (1435 of 1511 respondents, 94.97%,) gave birth via vaginal delivery and the rate of cesarean delivery was low (20 of 1513 respondents, 1.32%). Parity (odds ratio [OR], 2.42; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.87-6.71; P=0.091), vaginal delivery (OR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.39-1.47; P=0.408), and cesarean delivery (OR, 1.47; 95% CI, 0.59-3.70; P=0.409) did not increase the risk of urinary incontinence. Conclusion: There was no association between urinary incontinence and parity or mode of delivery among Taiwanese postmenopausal women decades after their first delivery.