Urinary incontinence is more common in women than men. Urinary incontinence is associated with many risk factors, including the number of pregnancies, body mass index, diabetes, depression, smoking, and age at the time of menopause… So, is there a cure for urinary incontinence?
There has been substantial research on urinary incontinence in Türkiye in recent years. The age range and demographics of men and women affected by this condition have begun to be revealed.
Prof. Dr. Oktay Demirkesen, Urology Specialist and Chairperson of the Turkish Continence Society, states that urinary incontinence has been on the rise in society over the years. Prof. Demirkesen shares important statistical information about this condition: “Urinary incontinence is a commonly seen condition in society. First of all, it should be noted that urinary incontinence is more common in women than men. Studies in the literature report that urinary incontinence occurs at least twice more commonly in females compared to males. However, a study conducted in Western Türkiye reported approximately four times higher likelihood of urinary incontinence in women compared to men. This is why women come to mind first when one hears the term urinary incontinence.
ACCORDING TO 2017 DATA, THE RATE OF URINARY INCONTINENCE AMONG WOMEN IN TÜRKİYE IS 42.7 PERCENT
In studies investigating urinary incontinence in women across different regions of Turkey, urinary incontinence rates vary between 23 percent and 46 percent. A study presented at the 5th Congress on Functional Urology and Female Urology in early October 2017 reported the rates of urinary incontinence in women aged 25-65 years from 16 provinces of 12 different regions in Türkiye.
According to the results of this study, during which 1179 patients were interviewed, the rate of urinary incontinence was 42.7 percent. Reportedly, 40 percent of the study cohort described stress incontinence, that is, urinary incontinence that emerges with physical movement or activity, and 25.6 percent reported experiencing urine leakage before they could reach the toilet in time. In the same study, the rate of those reporting moderate to severe urinary incontinence that affected daily life significantly, was 8.5 percent. Despite potential variations depending on patient and geographical region selection, urinary incontinence rates are approximately in this range across different countries of the world.
In terms of the relationship between age and gender, urinary incontinence rates tend to increase with age in both genders. The increasing frequency of stress urinary incontinence in women in the age range of 40-60 years results in a peak frequency, which will steadily increase with the advancing age of the population.
Urinary incontinence in men has not been studied as thoroughly as in women. Urinary incontinence is very rare in adult men but increases steadily with advanced age. Over the age of 75 years, the rates become almost comparable between genders.
WILLINGNESS FOR TREATMENT DOES NOT APPEAR TO VARY BY EDUCATIONAL LEVELS
The relationship between urinary incontinence and socio-economic levels has been one of the research topics.
Socio-economic level is associated with numerous risk factors of urinary incontinence such as the number of pregnancies, body mass index, diabetes, depression, smoking, and age at the time of menopause.
The rate of naming urinary incontinence as a problem and seeking treatment is higher in individuals with higher socio-economic status. However, the relationship between the incidence of urinary incontinence and socio-economic level or the extent of discomfort experienced by patients has not been clearly established. On the other hand, when we were to consider educational status alone, a study we conducted showed that the rate of urinary incontinence decreased significantly with higher educational levels in patients presenting to urology and gynecology outpatient clinics due to complaints other than urinary incontinence, but the willingness to receive treatment did not vary by the educational level”, says Prof. Dr. Oktay Demirkesen.
Source: Haber Türk