Urinary incontinence in physically active women

Abstract

Background: The problem of urinary incontinence (UI) is present in the sports community, and women in this group are more likely to experience it compared to those who are physically inactive. Aims: This study aimed to determine the extent of urinary incontinence among physically active women and to indicate the influence of participants’ sociodemographic characteristics and variables describing their physical activity on the level of this problem. An additional objective was to assess subjects’ awareness of the prevention and treatment methods of urinary incontinence and check whether they use them to protect and treat this dysfunction. Material and methods: The data was obtained from 736 women. The research used the method of a diagnostic survey, the technique of an Internet questionnaire for which the proprietary interview questionnaire was used. The obtained results were statistically analyzed using statistical measures and tests. Results: Urinary incontinence was reported by 18.2% of the participants. A statistically significant association between age, history of childbirth, education, and prevalence of urinary incontinence was found. There was no statistically significant relationship between training duration, number of systematic workouts per week, length and intensity of a single workout and urinary incontinence. Conclusion: The problem of urinary incontinence is present in the sports community, but further research should be conducted to analyze the prevalence of this issue in this population.