Barriers to Seeking Medical Consultation for Urinary Incontinence: A Nationwide Population-Based Study in Saudi Arabia

IF 1.5 4区医学 Q3 UROLOGY & NEPHROLOGY

LUTS: Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Pub Date : 2025-10-12 DOI:10.1111/luts.70033

Ebtesam Almajed, Norah Alqntash, Badriyah AlDejain, Noura AlQurashi, Mohammed Alshehri, Ali AbdelRaheem, Nojoud Alamri

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Abstract

Objectives

Urinary incontinence (UI) is prevalent and often underreported due to various barriers affecting healthcare-seeking behavior. This study aimed to identify barriers preventing patients from seeking help for UI, assess the influence of sociodemographic and clinical factors on these barriers, and determine the associations between UI types and barriers in Saudi Arabia.

Methods

A nationwide, cross-sectional study was conducted from June 2024 to April 2025 among individuals aged ≥ 18 years who experienced UI and had not sought medical consultation. Participants completed a questionnaire that comprised sociodemographic data, the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ-UI SF), and a modified Barriers to Incontinence Care Seeking Questionnaire (BICS-Q). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, ANOVA, and binary logistic regression.

Results

Of 505 eligible participants, 80.6% were female, predominantly aged 31–45 (40.0%), and the most common UI type was mixed UI (37.2%). The most significant barriers were embarrassment (33.3%), logistical inconvenience (appointments scheduled too far in advance, 36.8%), and provider-related issues (lack of available providers, 12.3%). Gender, obesity, residency region, and type of UI significantly influenced barrier perception. Fear-related barriers were notably higher in nocturnal UI, whereas embarrassment and cultural concerns were highest among those with mixed UI.

Conclusion

This study highlights significant embarrassment, inconvenience, and provider-related barriers deterring healthcare-seeking among UI patients in Saudi Arabia. Findings emphasize the need for culturally tailored interventions, improved healthcare accessibility, and targeted public awareness campaigns.

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寻求尿失禁医疗咨询的障碍：沙特阿拉伯一项基于全国人群的研究

目的尿失禁（UI）是普遍的，往往被低估，由于各种障碍影响就医行为。本研究旨在确定阻碍患者寻求尿失禁帮助的障碍，评估社会人口统计学和临床因素对这些障碍的影响，并确定沙特阿拉伯尿失禁类型与障碍之间的关系。方法在2024年6月至2025年4月期间对年龄≥18岁且未就诊的尿失禁患者进行全国性横断面研究。参与者完成了一份调查问卷，包括社会人口统计数据、国际失禁咨询问卷-尿失禁简短表格（ICIQ-UI SF）和一份修改过的失禁护理寻求障碍问卷（BICS-Q）。数据分析采用描述性统计、独立t检验、方差分析和二元逻辑回归。结果505例符合条件的患者中，女性占80.6%，年龄以31-45岁为主（40.0%），最常见的UI类型为混合型UI（37.2%）。最重要的障碍是尴尬（33.3%）、后勤不便（预约时间提前太长，36.8%）和与提供者相关的问题（缺乏可用的提供者，12.3%）。性别、肥胖、居住地区和UI类型显著影响障碍感知。在夜间尿失禁中，与恐惧相关的障碍明显更高，而在混合尿失禁中，尴尬和文化问题的障碍最高。结论：本研究突出了沙特阿拉伯尿失禁患者寻求医疗保健的重大尴尬、不便和与提供者相关的障碍。研究结果强调需要针对不同文化的干预措施，改善医疗保健可及性，并开展有针对性的公众宣传活动。

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来源期刊

LUTS: Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms UROLOGY & NEPHROLOGY-

CiteScore

3.00

自引率

7.70%

发文量

审稿时长

>12 weeks

期刊介绍： LUTS is designed for the timely communication of peer-reviewed studies which provides new clinical and basic science information to physicians and researchers in the field of neurourology, urodynamics and urogynecology. Contributions are reviewed and selected by a group of distinguished referees from around the world, some of whom constitute the journal''s Editorial Board. The journal covers both basic and clinical research on lower urinary tract dysfunctions (LUTD), such as overactive bladder (OAB), detrusor underactivity, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), bladder outlet obstruction (BOO), urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse (POP), painful bladder syndrome (PBS), as well as on other relevant conditions. Case reports are published only if new findings are provided. LUTS is an official journal of the Japanese Continence Society, the Korean Continence Society, and the Taiwanese Continence Society. Submission of papers from all countries are welcome. LUTS has been accepted into Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) with a 2011 Impact Factor.