ABSTRACT

To investigate urinary incontinence (UI) with the international consultation on incontinence questionnaire (ICIQ-SF) in pregnant women.

The present study was conducted at a tertiary center between June 2014 and December 2014. It included 219 females who willingly participated. A questionnaire was used for collecting data. The questionnaire was administered as face-to-face interviews by researchers in a separate room. The SPSS 20.0 (SPSS Inc.; Chicago, IL, USA) software was used for statistical analysis.

The mean patient age was 28.8±5.4 years. With scores of maximum 19 and minimum 0, ICIQ-SF revealed which pregnant women receive, from their answers, the questions that include “how often do you leak urine,” “how much urine do you usually leak,” and “how much does leaking urine interfere with your daily life”. Totally, 127 patients (58.3%) reported that they never leak urine; however, 14 (6.4%) reported that they always leak urine.

UI during pregnancy is an important symptom affecting a woman’s physical, psychological, social, and economic well-being and quality of life. Obstetricians teach and provide training for pelvic floor exercises during pregnancy. The characteristics of UI in patients should be investigated in detail using a standardized questionnaire. In antenatal care, urogynecologists and obstetricians should work together as a multidisciplinary team. Additionally, information regarding the prevention of pelvic floor disorders should be included in prenatal and postnatal care.

Keywords: Pregnancy, quality of life, urinary incontinence