Curvilinear relationship was found between visceral adiposity index and stress urinary incontinence among US adult women: A cross-sectional study.

Aims: The purpose of this study was to find out the relation between visceral adipose index (VAI) levels and stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in adult women.

Methods: From the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2007-2020, females aged 20 or above were identified for this study. Visceral adiposity was determined using the VAI score, and the assessment of urinary incontinence was carried out through a correlation questionnaire. Logistic regression models and restricted cubic spline (RCS) regression were employed to analyze the relationship between VAI levels and SUI.

Results: Among the 6522 participants, 2672 (41.0%) were reported SUI. Multivariate logistic regression revealed significantly higher odds of SUI with increasing VAI levels (Q4 vs. Q1), adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.53 (CI: 1.29-1.81, p < 0.001). RCS regression indicated a curvilinear relationship between VAI and SUI (p = 0.003). In threshold analysis, aOR for developing SUI was 1.18 (CI: 1.11-1.26, p < 0.001) for participants with VAI < 4.73, suggesting an 18% increased risk of SUI with each unit increase in VAI. No association between VAI and SUI was observed when VAI was ≥4.73.

Conclusions: Our study has revealed a significant curvilinear relationship between VAI and SUI within a large and representative sample of women. Future research is necessary to evaluate the relationship between the two and explicate the underlying mechanisms of this relationship.