Prevalence of urinary incontinence in the 12-month postpartum period and related risk factors in Turkey

Aim: The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of urinary incontinence in the 12-month postpartum period and the risk factors related to this condition. Methods: The research is a cross-sectional study of 1,749 first-year postpartum women living in the metropolis of Konya and presenting at seven city health centers. The statistical methods used were the χ2, the Student's t test and logistic regression analysis. Results: Of the women in the study who were in their 12-month postpartum periods, 19.5% were experiencing varying degrees of urinary incontinence. While 42.2% of the women suffered from stress incontinence, 10.3% had urge incontinence, 47.5% complained of a mixed type of urinary incontinence, 7.3% reported leakage of urine during sexual intercourse and 14.4% reported the need to use protective pads. It was found that 12.3% of the women were performing pelvic floor muscle exercises and only 15.2% had consulted their doctors about urinary incontinence. Conclusion: It was seen that urinary incontinence is a serious health problem in the postpartum period, that it disrupts a woman's daily activities, affects her sex life but that despite this, women do not receive needed medical assistance. Copyright © 2008 S. Karger AG.