Prevalence of and attitude toward urinary incontinence in postmenopausal women

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of urinary incontinence, and the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Taiwanese women aged 60 years or older. Method: A nationwide epidemiological study was conducted and a sample of 2410 women was selected. Personal visits to 1517 women were completed. Results: A total of 485 (29.8%) women reported urinary incontinence; 250 (69.9%) urinary incontinent women experienced symptoms less than once a month. Regarding knowledge, attitudes, and practices, 822 (54.3%) of the women surveyed knew the meaning of urinary incontinence, and 147 (30.3%) with urinary incontinence had visited a doctor. The main reason given for not seeking medical help was shyness. Conclusion: Although urinary incontinence is a common symptom, it is often not reported to doctors, which leads to undertreatment. From a public health perspective, there is considerable opportunity to improve women's quality of life by increasing health education about urinary incontinence and its treatment.