Original Research
The prevalence of urinary incontinence and its impact on quality of life among the university female staff in South Africa
South African Journal of Physiotherapy | Vol 67, No 2 | a46 |
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/sajp.v67i2.46
| © 2011 L. Skaal, M.K. Mashola
| This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 05 January 2011 | Published: 05 January 2011
Submitted: 05 January 2011 | Published: 05 January 2011
About the author(s)
L. Skaal, University of Limpopo, South AfricaM.K. Mashola, University of Limpopo, South Africa
Full Text:
PDF (290KB)Abstract
Background: Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common problem among females and has been associated with significant decreased quality of life. Few women seek help for this condition with only a few who consult physiotherapy treatment.Purpose: To determine the prevalence of urinary incontinence and its impact on quality of life among the university women in South Africa.Method: A quantitative cross-sectional study design with 145 women ran-domly selected from the university. A questionnaire was used to determine UI Diagnosis; Impact on Qol and treatment seeking tendencies. BMI was meas-ured objectively. ethical clearance was obtained from University. Data was analysed using SPSS 17.0Results: Forty six(32%) women reported to having UI. Risk factors associated with UI included age, race, and obesity. UI had a significant negative impact on quality of life and only 4.4% of participants with UI consulted physio-therapy for this condition.Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of UI among the women at this university with a significant impact on quality of life.The role of Physiotherapy in management of UI has been demonstrated and there is therefore a need to empower women with non-invasive treatment options, like physiotherapy.
Keywords
urinary incontinence; impact, quality of life; physiotherapy.
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