TOPLINE:

Over half of the primiparous women experienced urinary incontinence (UI) 5-10 years after delivery. Compared with vaginal delivery, caesarean delivery was less frequently linked with the development of UI. A family history of UI and the presence of chronic diseases or comorbidities were associated with a higher likelihood of developing UI.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers conducted an ambispective observational cohort study to evaluate the prevalence and risk factors associated with UI 5-10 years after the first delivery and the impact of UI on quality of life.
• They included 425 primiparous women (mean age, 41.14 years; BMI, 24.01) who delivered vaginally or via caesarean section at a Spanish hospital between 2012 and 2016 and had no subsequent pregnancies.
• UI symptoms were evaluated using a validated Spanish version of the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ-UI-SF).

TAKEAWAY:

• Overall, 228 (53.6%) women had UI, whereas 197 (46.4%) women did not have UI.
• After adjusting for confounders, women who had caesarean delivery had 48% lower odds of developing UI than those who had vaginal delivery (adjusted odds ratio, 0.52; P = .009).
• Women with a family history of UI had approximately twofold higher odds of developing UI, and those with chronic diseases or comorbidities had 58% higher odds (P < .05 for both).
• According to the ICIQ-UI-SF assessment, 27.76% of the women had moderate UI symptoms, and 7.29% had severe symptoms. None had very severe symptoms.

IN PRACTICE:

"In middle-aged, non-menopausal women without prior urinary incontinence, the onset of UI in the years following childbirth is associated with a history of vaginal delivery, maternal family antecedents, and the presence of chronic diseases or comorbidities," wrote the authors of the study.
"Therefore, given the high prevalence and significant impact on quality of life observed, we recommend implementing preventive measures with strong evidence before the onset of age-related biological changes, including menopause," they added.

SOURCE:

This study was led by Lola Serrano-Raya, Midwifery Training Unit, Valencian School of Health Studies in Valencia, Spain. It was published online on December 29, 2025, in the Journal of Clinical Medicine.

LIMITATIONS:

No specific limitations were mentioned in the study. 

DISCLOSURES:

The study did not receive any external funding. The authors declared having no conflicts of interest.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.