OBJECTIVE: To explain variation in female age specific incidence rates for urinary incontinence (UI) from published population based studies.
DATA SOURCES: An extensive Medline review of publications on population based studies of female UI incidence rates from 1966 to 2011 was completed using a combination of symptom and epidemiological search terms.
METHODS OF STUDY SELECTION: Eighteen reports described 17 unique incidence studies.
TABULATION, INTEGRATION, AND RESULTS: Features (e.g. sample size, follow-up period, etc) of each study were abstracted along with detailed data on 109 age specific incidence rates (i.e., new cases/1,000 person-years). Because one study had unique demographics and was dominant in sample size (i.e., NHS), analyses were completed with and without this study. Weighted (i.e., square root of sample size) linear regression was used to determine factors (i.e., age, source population, race, frequency score, etc.) explaining variance among age specific incidence rates.
RESULTS: Age and case definition accounted for 60% of variation in incidence rates among studies. Age specific incidence was below 2/1000 person-years before age 40 and increased thereafter. For a given age group, incidence rates varied as much as six-fold across studies, a finding that was largely explained by variation in case definition.
CONCLUSIONS: The case definition accounts for substantial variation in UI incidence estimates. Developing standards for reporting will provide a foundation to policy guidance and understanding etiology. We recommend that quantitative frequency criteria (e.g., 2 times or more/month) be reported versus vague thresholds (e.g., sometimes or often).
Written by:
Stewart WF, Hirsh AG, Kirchner HL, Clarke DN, Litchtenfeld MJ, Minassian VA. Are you the author?
Sutter Health, Research and Development, Concord, CA.
Reference: J Urol. 2013 Oct 15. pii: S0022-5347(13)05658-9.
doi: 10.1016/j.juro.2013.10.050
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 24140547
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