Urinary incontinence in nulliparous women: results from a nationwide sample
INTRODUCTION
Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common problem in women, affecting approximately 30% of women in the US. Pregnancy and childbirth are known risk factors associated with UI. Less is known regarding rates of UI in nulliparous women. We aim to evaluate patient-reported urinary outcomes in nulliparous women in the US.
METHODS
The NHANES database was queried for all women during the years 2007-2014. Only women that reported never having been pregnant were included in analysis. Demographic and gynecologic history was quantified amongst women. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to assess the effect of factors on urinary outcomes.
RESULTS
There were 1,575 women available for analysis. Overall, 34.6%, 23.8%, and 17.0% of all women reported any UI, stress UI, and urge UI, respectively. Both age and BMI were associated with increasing rates of all categories of UI and severity of UI (p
CONCLUSION
The rates of UI are high amongst nulliparous women in the US. Although UI is often discussed in connection with childbirth, there is a significant disease burden present among nulliparous women. This information may be helpful for patient counseling.
Funding: none