The extent and severity of urinary incontinence amongst women in UK GP waiting rooms

INTRODUCTION: Few women seek help for urinary incontinence. Subsequently, there may be many women accessing primary care services who would benefit from treatment or advice. If high levels of unexpressed need are present in this population, a more proactive approach to continence management may be appropriate, but the feasibility of this depends on an accurate assessment of the level of unmet need in this population. AIM: To assess the prevalence of urinary incontinence in a female population attending primary care and the extent of treatment seeking in relation to level of need. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey of urinary incontinence of adult women attending primary care practices in West Yorkshire, London, Glasgow and Leicestershire during a 10- or 15-day period. RESULTS: Three thousand two hundred and seventy-three (54%) women responded. Twenty-one per cent reported stress urinary incontinence only, 3.5% reported urge incontinence only and 21% reported mixed stress and urge incontinence during the preceding month (9% had moderate or severe symptoms). Fifty-three per cent of these had not consulted a health care professional, which is equivalent to 1 in 20 of women in GP waiting rooms, most of whom have stress and urge incontinence (75%) or stress incontinence only (21%). CONCLUSIONS: Nearly half of female primary care attendees had experienced incontinence during the preceding month, but only a minority had sought help. Even amongst the nearly 1 in 10 women with moderate or severe incontinence only about half had sought help. There remains considerable health decrement due to urinary incontinence in those not receiving help in a population readily accessible to primary care services.