Urinary incontinence among pregnant Turkish women

Objective: To investigate effect on quality of life and to determine the frequency and risk factors for urinary incontinence (UI) among pregnant Turkish women. Methodology: This was a descriptive and cross-sectional study which enrolled 502 pregnant women. Results: It was found that 40.4% of pregnant women reported urinary incontinence. 78.8% of pregnant women with UI had stress UI, 14.8% of them had mixed type UI and 6.4% of them had urge UI. 12.9% of pregnant women were aware of pelvic floor muscle exercises. It was found that 73.5% of pregnants feel discomfort, 75.3% of them think that their daily routines are affected, 69.3% think of getting assistance from a health institution, 52.6% of them avoid taking enough liquid with the anxiety of UI. Risk factors of UI among pregnant women were older age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.088, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.001-1.183) and spontaneous birth (OR=3.938, 95%CI 1.899-8.167). Conclusion: Urinary Incontinence is seen as a common health problem among pregnant Turkish women. Also, it has negative effect on their quality of life. Health care professionals should investigate pregnant women for UI in antenatal care and they should inform them about pelvic floor muscle exercises.