The Effects of Severity of Urine Leakage on Quality of Life in Hispanic, White, and Black Men and Women: The Boston Community Health Survey

• Published in: Urology (Ridgewood, N.J.) N.J.), 2010, Vol.75 (1), p.27-33
• Main Authors: Tennstedt, Sharon L, Chiu, Gretchen R, Link, Carol L, Litman, Heather J, Kusek, John W, McKinlay, John B
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; African Americans; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; European Continental Ancestry Group; Female; Hispanic Americans; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Nephrology. Urinary tract diseases; Prospective Studies; Quality of Life; Severity of Illness Index; Urinary Incontinence; Urology
• ISSN: 0090-4295; 1527-9995
• DOI: 10.1016/j.urology.2009.08.019

Objectives To investigate the relationship between the severity of urine leakage and quality of life (QOL) in men and women of different race/ethnicity. Methods An epidemiologic survey was conducted with a population-based random sample of 3202 women and 2301 men (1767 black, 1877 Hispanic, 1859 white) aged 30-79 years in Boston, MA. Severity of leakage was based on frequency and amount by the Sandvik Severity Scale. QOL was measured with physical and mental component summaries of Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-12. Covariates included race/ethnicity, age, socioeconomic status, urinary incontinence risk factors, and comorbidities. Analysis included multivariate linear regression modeling by gender. Results Urine leakage, most of which was mild or moderate, was reported in 30% of women and 18% of men. Women (5.1%) were more likely than men (0.9%) to report severe leakage. In multivariate analysis, as severity of leakage increased, both components of QOL declined, with decreases in scores of 7-8 points for men ( P ≤.001 for each) and 4-6 points ( P