Prevalence of urinary incontinence among institutionalized elderly and its relationship to mental state, functional independence, and associated comorbidities

Abstract

Urinary incontinence is defined as the involuntary loss of urine through the urethra, which may cause many social and hygienic problems and changes that compromise social life such as depression, shame, and isolation, with higher prevalence in women than in men. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of urinary incontinence in a sample of institutionalized elderly and analyze its relationship with sociodemographic characteristics, comorbidities, cognitive function, and functional independence. Methods: Cross-sectional, descriptive, and exploratory study. It included 27 seniors of both genders, living in a long-term care facility who met the inclusion criteria. Prevalence was determined by the percentage of elderly patients with urinary incontinence; sociodemographic characteristics and comorbidities were evaluated through a standard history record, reviewed with data from medical records; cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination, and functional independence was assessed using the modified Barthel scale, while the comparison between groups was made through the Student t test and the associations, through the chi-square test. Results: Nine subjects (33.33%) had urinary incontinence. There was an association between gender and urinary incontinence, with higher prevalence for females (p = 0.029). Urinary incontinence was associated with low educational level (p = 0.014), time at the institution (p = 0.004), functional classification (p = 0.003), and cognitive impairment (p = 0.001). Conclusion: Urinary incontinence is common in elderly residents in long term care facilities, with a higher prevalence in women and was associated with low education, longer time at the institution, greater dependence in performing activities, and greater cognitive impairment