Exploring the prevalence of urinary incontinence in multi-ethnic refugee women in Maricopa county, Arizona.

BACKGROUND

This study explores the prevalence of urinary incontinence among multi-ethnic refugee women and their comfort levels in discussing this topic with their healthcare providers.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, between July and November 2021, 58 refugee women were recruited within community spaces using convenience sampling and word-of-mouth. Participants completed a 20-item questionnaire in English, Arabic, Burmese, Swahili, or Somali. Urinary incontinence was identified by an affirmative response to any of the 6-item Urogenital Distress Inventory questions or the report of at least one episode of stress or urgency incontinence per month.

RESULTS

The observed prevalence of urinary incontinence in this cohort was 50%. Despite 59.6% of participants expressing comfort in discussing these symptoms, 82.8% of them revealed that they had never spoken with a healthcare provider about them. Moreover, 77.6% of these women reported never being queried about these symptoms by a healthcare professional.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on these results, urinary incontinence is notably prevalent among refugee women. Healthcare professionals serving refugee women should consider incorporating screening for this condition into routine office visits. Notably, the limited sample size of this study underscores the necessity for further research on this subject.