TOPLINE

Women with urinary incontinence engaged in less vigorous physical activity than those without urinary incontinence, a UK survey showed, with more than 75% of respondents reporting some degree of urinary incontinence. Those with more severe urinary incontinence spent less time in vigorous activity, and low-intensity physical activity was associated with higher levels of urinary incontinence.

METHODOLOGY

• A cross-sectional survey included 410 adult women and people assigned female at birth aged 18 years or older in theUK between August 2022 and December 2023.
• Participants completed the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ-UI SF) to assess urinary incontinence severity and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF) to measure physical activity quantity and intensity over the past 7 days.
• Researchers categorized urinary incontinence severity as none (score 0), slight (1-5), moderate (6-12), severe (13-18), or very severe (19-21), and physical activity quantity as low (<600 metabolic equivalent of task [MET]-minutes per week), medium (600-3000 MET-minutes per week), or high (>3000 MET-minutes per week).
• The relationship between urinary incontinence, age, and physical activity was assessed. Free-text responses from 233 participants were analyzed using descriptive textual analysis.

TAKEAWAY

• Urinary incontinence was reported by 76.8% of participants, with a median ICIQ-UI SF score of 6.0 among those with urinary incontinence; urinary incontinence severity increased with age (P = .003).
• Women with higher quantities of physical activity were more likely to report lower levels of urinary incontinence (P = .0044), although total energy expenditure did not differ significantly by urinary incontinence severity (P = .165).
• Participants with more severe urinary incontinence spent less time in vigorous activity (median 120 MET-minutes per week for severe/very severe urinary incontinence vs 640 MET-minutes per week for no urinary incontinence; P = .013) and moderate activity (median 0 MET-minutes per week for severe/very severe urinary incontinence vs 240 MET-minutes per week for slight urinary incontinence; P = .049).
• Ordinal regression analysis showed that low intensity of physical activity was associated with higher levels of urinary incontinence (odds ratio [OR], 2.26; P = .001), independent of age; one-third (32.5%) agreed or strongly agreed that urinary incontinence influenced their decision to start physical activity, and 37.3% agreed it affected whether they continued.

IN PRACTICE

"This cross-sectional study identified a high prevalence of UI [urinary incontinence], which was associated with lower intensity of physical activity in this sample. These behaviours may be contributing to some women not meeting recommended physical activity levels," the authors wrote.

SOURCE

The study was led by Becca Freeden, Queen Margaret University Edinburgh, Musselburgh, Scotland. It was published online on July 24 in BMJ Open.

LIMITATIONS

The advertised focus on urinary incontinence and physical activity likely led to self-selection bias, attracting more participants with urinary incontinence. Minimal demographic data were collected, limiting generalizability. The survey focused solely on urinary incontinence rather than a broader range of pelvic floor dysfunctions. Multiple responses from the same participant could not be ruled out.

DISCLOSURES

The study was supported by the Lydia Osteoporosis Project. Authors reported having employment ties with Queen Margaret University. Details are provided in the original article.

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