Prevalence of Anal Incontinence and Constipation in Female Patients with Urinary Incontinence

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of anal incontinence and constipation in patients with urinary incontinence.

Materials and Methods: Adult female patients who presented with the complaint of urinary incontinence were evaluated with anal incontinence and constipation assessment survey prepared on the basis of "the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form", "the Overactive Bladder 8-Question Awareness Tool" and "the Rome 3" criteria.

Results: Two hundred female patients with urinary incontinence were evaluated. The patients were in the age group of 18-88 with the average age of 55.24 +/- 16.86 standard deviation. Stress incontinence was present in 19.5%, urge incontinence in 36% and mixed incontinence in 44.5% of the subjects. Seventy-seven percent of patients presented with flatal incontinence, 7.5% with fecal incontinence and 52.5% presented with constipation. There was no difference between sub-groups created according to age groups and types of urinary incontinence in terms of frequency of gastrointestinal symptoms. The incidence of constipation was statistically significantly higher in patients presenting with findings of urinary incontinence for more than 1 year and in those with overactive bladder (p< 0.01 and p< 0.001, respectively).

Conclusion: Flatal incontinence was found in 77%, fecal incontinence in 7.5% and constipation in 52.2% of female adult patients with urinary incontinence. The incidence of constipation was higher at the level of statistical significance in patients presenting with findings of urinary incontinence for more than 1 year and in those with overactive bladder.