The prevalence of urinary incontinence and associated risk factors in Taiwanese women with lower urinary tract symptoms.

BACKGROUND To analyze the urodynamic-defined prevalence of urinary incontinence and the associated risk factors in Taiwanese women with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). METHODS We reviewed the medical records of 4,470 women who were referred to our urodynamic center between January 1999 and May 2003. Their records including a comprehensive medical history, physical examination, bladder diary and results of multi-channel urodynamic testing were analyzed. RESULTS 3,161 of 4,470 women recruited were eligible for the analyses. The distribution of urodynamic prevalence in 3,161 women revealed that urodynamic stress incontinence (USI) was 1,755/3,161 (55.5%), detrusor overactivity (DO) 231/3,161 (7.3%), mixed incontinence (MI) 142/3,161 (4.5%), voiding dysfunction (VD) 793/3,161 (25.1%) and normal result (N) 240/3,161 (7.6%). The highest prevalence of USI was observed in women aged 40-49 (40.3%) and the prevalence of DO and MI seemed to be lower as compared with the literature reports. Linear regression analysis showed parity (p < 0.001) and three urodynamic study (UDS) variables [maximum free flow rate (p = 0.003), maximum urethral closure pressure (p = 0.003) and functional profile length (p = 0.014)] were significantly related to the urinary incontinence in women with LUTS. Menopause (p = 0.865) had no impact on the urinary incontinence. CONCLUSION Risk factors contributing to Taiwanese women with LUTS to develop urinary incontinence included multiparity and three specific parameters observed during UDS. Of interest, our data also indicated 25% of patients were diagnosed as voiding dysfunction deserved future study.