Menopause, urinary incontinence prevalence and impact on healthy living.

AIM: Urinary incontinence (UI) is one of the most common symptoms during menopause, leading to decreased quality of life. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of UI and the effect of associated factors on healthy lifestyle behaviors in menopausal women.

METHODS

The study was carried out with a total of 439 women. The data were collected between October 15, 2022, and July 30, 2023. The data were evaluated by correlation between the Descriptive Information Form, Bristol Female Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (BFLUTS), and Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors Scale II (HLBS II).

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of urinary incontinence was 30.8 %; 59.5 % had stress urinary incontinence (SUI). There was no significant relationship between BFLUTS and HLBS II scores (p > 0.05). There was a weak positive correlation between BFLUTS and age (p = 0.000), number of pregnancies (p = 0.040), number of births (p = 0.044), and duration of menopause (years) (p = 0.001) (p < 0.01). There was a weak negative association between HLBS II and pregnancy (p = 0.005) and number of births (p = 0.025) (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Screening for early diagnosis and appropriate treatment of urinary incontinence should be performed to prevent the frequent occurrence of urinary incontinence in menopausal women and its devastating effects on quality of life.