The impact of urinary incontinence on quality of life among women in Hong Kong

MW Pang, HY Leung, LW Chan, SK Yip
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong

OBJECTIVE. To determine the prevalence of female urinary incontinence in Hong Kong and its impact on quality of life.

DESIGN AND SETTING. Territory-wide telephone survey in Hong Kong.

PARTICIPANTS. Hong Kong women aged 10 to 90 years accessed by fixed residential telephone lines between June 2001 and July 2002.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES. The prevalence of urinary symptoms was assessed using telephone interview. The urinary symptoms investigated were as listed in a validated Chinese version of Urogenital Distress Inventory Short Form (UDI-6). The impact on quality of life was quantified using a validated Chinese version of Incontinence Impact
Questionnaire Short Form (IIQ-7).

RESULTS. There were 749 valid respondents (response rate, 24.4%). Urinary symptoms were reported by 52% of women (95% confidence interval, 48.9-56.0%), of whom 12% believed it impaired their quality of life. Stress urinary incontinence was reported by 34% (95% confidence interval, 28.7-38.9%). Social (5.1%; 95% confidence interval, 2.8-7.4%) and emotional (5.6%; 95% confidence interval, 3.3-7.9%) factors were the quality-of-life areas most impacted by urinary incontinence.

CONCLUSIONS. Urinary symptoms are common among Hong Kong women. Quality of life is consequently impaired in 12% of affected women.

Hong Kong Med J 2005;11:158-63

Key words: Female; Prevalence; Quality of life; Urinary incontinence