BACKGROUNDWe randomly sampled a healthy community to evaluate the prevalence and associated risk factors of urinary incontinence.

METHODSThe survey was performed in Fuzhou, China. Of women over twenty years of age in the city, 3.0% were randomly selected and 4684 evaluated by Bristol Female Urinary Tract Symptoms Questionnaire.

RESULTSOf the women in Fuzhou, 19.0% had urinary incontinence. The prevalence of stress incontinence, urge incontinence and mixed incontinence was 16.6% (n = 777), 10.0% (n = 468), 7.7% (n = 360) respectively. The prevalence of the three types of urinary incontinence increased significantly with age (P < 0.01). In multiple logistic models, age (OR, 1.3, 95% CI, 1.1-1.4), vaginal delivery (3.0, 1.9-4.7), parity > 2 (2.1, 1.5-2.9), hypertension (2.7, 1.4-5.6), constipation (2.6, 1.8-3.8), alcohol consumption (4.7, 1.1-20.2), episiotomy (1.7, 1.4-2.0), higher body mass index (BMI, 1.8, 1.5-2.2) and unskilled worker (0.7, 0.5-0.8) were potential risk factors for stress incontinence. Urge incontinence was associated with age (OR, 1.3, 95% CI, 0.9-1.3), menopause (1.6, 1.1-2.4), Caesarean delivery (0.2, 0.1-0.5), parity > 2 (2.6, 1.8-3.8), constipation (2.3, 1.4-3.7), foetal birthweight (1.7, 1.1-2.4), episiotomy (1.4, 1.1-1.8), higher BMI (1.5, 1.2-2.0) and unskilled worker (0.7, 0.5-0.9).

CONCLUSIONSThe prevalence of urinary incontinence and its subtypes in Chinese women is lower than that of occidental women. In China, age, vaginal delivery, parity, hypertension, constipation, alcohol consumption, episiotomy, higher BMI are potential risk factors for stress incontinence. Urge incontinence is associated with age, menopause, Caesarean delivery, parity, constipation, foetal birthweight, episiotomy, higher body mass index.