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The majority of research on urinary incontinence (UI) has been conducted with Caucasian populations. This correlational, descriptive study was designed to identify prevalence and risk factors for UI and to determine the types of incontinence most commonly seen in healthy African-American women. Results of this study showed that age and education were risk factors for UI in African-American women. It is suggested that African-American women be routinely screened for symptoms of UI as a part of preventive health care.
Urinary incontinence (UI), he involuntary loss of urine sufficient to be a hygienic or social problem, is a health problem that can occur in people of all ages, primarily older females. Estimates of the prevalence of UI range from 10% to 15% in younger adults to 12% to 36% in community-dwelling older adults (Herzog & Fultz, 1990; Vinkers et al., 2001). Although UI is more prevalent as individuals age, it is neither an inevitable part of the aging process nor is it limited to the elderly. Additional risk factors may include race and reproductive risk factors. For the most part, the research on UI has been conducted with Caucasian populations.
Literature Review
The highest prevalence rates for UI have been observed in the elderly. Women 60 years of age and older report UI twice as often as men. In adults less than 60 years of age, the gender differences are more pronounced with younger women reporting prevalence up to three times higher than that for their male counterparts (Herzog & Fultz, 1990; Thorn, 1998). Additionally, institutionalized individuals of both genders experience significantly higher UI prevalence rates (Fantl, Newman, & Colling, 1996).
Associated risk factors for urinary incontinence include reproductive factors, health-related factors such as functional and cognitive deficits, and more recently behavioral risk factors including smoking and obesity. The literature on reproductive correlates of UI such as parity, hysterectomy, and menopause is mixed (Hunskaar et al., 2000). Foldspang, Mommsen, Lam, & Elving (1992) reported that parity increased the risk of stress incontinence. Additionally, vaginal delivery was an established risk factor for developing UI in the immediate postpartum period and in later life. Thorn and Brown (1998) reported that the relative risk of UI associated with parity ranged from 1.3 to 4.6, with the first vaginal...