**5. Conclusion**

Reported incidence and prevalence estimates in pregnancy and postpartum vary (Table 5). Incidence of UI is high during pregnancy. Close to 50 % of all women experience UI during pregnancy. Delivery is one of many factors that lead to a high incidence of UI postpartum. About 1/3 women experience UI postpartum. This is the first review trying to summarize the UI estimates in association with pregnancy.


Table 5. Range of incidence and prevalence estimates for any UI by parity.

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Many factors contribute to the wide range of incidence and prevalence estimates. The different use of definitions, type of study, methods of data collection, time point of information gathering information gathering, threshold used to define UI, UI type, study population, questionnaire and selection bias are some of the factors that may explain the wide range of estimates.

There is need for systematic reviews giving pooled estimates, preferably for subsets defined by parity, type of delivery and type of incontinence. Future studies ought to follow reporting guidelines for observational studies, like the Strobe criteria (von Elm et al, 2007), as poor reporting hinders the assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of a study and the generalizability of its results.

#### **6. References**


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**3** 

**A Multi-Disciplinary Perspective on the** 

Mariola Bidzan1, Jerzy Smutek2,3, Krystyna Garstka-Namysł4,

*3Pro-Vita Private Medical Center for Urinary Incontinence, Gdansk* 

*<sup>4</sup>*Department of Tourism and Recreation*, University of Physical Education, Poznan* 

*6Department of Developmental Psychiatry, Psychotic Disorders and Old Age Psychiatry,* 

Urinary incontinence (UI) has a multifactorial etiology, and as a rule lasts for many years (Abrams et al., 2002; Milart & Gulanowska-Gędek, 2002; Rechberger & Skorupski, 2005). It is most commonly seen in women (Foldspang & Mommsen, 1997; Rechberger, 2004; Rechberger & Skorupski, 2005; Garstka-Namysł, 2006, 2009). According to a recent epidemiological study (Minnasian, 2003), in a population of 230,000 people, the frequency of occurrence of UI was approximately 27.6% among women, as opposed to 10% among men. It is estimated that about 3% of men between the ages of 15 and 64 have UI-related problems, as compared to 7-10% of men over 64 (Evans, 2005). The prevalence of UI in women is likewise dependent on age: it affects nearly one-third of all women before menopause and over 45% after (Rogers et al., 2001a, 2001b). A detailed analysis of the occurrence of UI in various age brackets indicates that it affects 25% of women under 18, 18% under 29, and 37% between 35 and 54, whereas 39% of women with UI are over 55 years old (Bø, 2004). However, approximately 70-80% of women over 65 have UI (Milsom et al., 1993, 2001; Hannestad et al., 2000; Nygaard et al., 2003, 2004). This has been confirmed by several studies (cf. Diokno et al., 2004; Hunskaar et al., 2004; Furelly et al., 2003; Kirby et

On the basis of separate studies, sponsored by the National Association for Incontinence in the United Sates, it can be inferred that, among all diseases of social significance, UI is the most common. While 21% of American women suffer from arterial hypertension, 20% have depression, and 9% have diabetes, as many as 30% of women have UI (Resnick, 1998;

**1. Introduction** 

al., 2006; Rechberger & Tomaszewski, 2007).

**Diagnosis and Treatment of Urinary** 

**Incontinence in Young Women** 

*1Department of Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology,* 

*2Department of Obstetrics, Medical University of Gdansk* 

*5INNOMED - Poznan, Private Neurorehabilitation Centre* 

Jan Namysł5 and Leszek Bidzan6

*Medical University of Gdansk* 

*Poland* 

 *Institute of Psychology, University of Gdansk* 

