Prevalence of urinary incontinence during pregnancy and its repercussions

Abstract

Introduction: Urinary incontinence (UI) represents a condition that produces hygienic and social disorders for the patient, being more prevalent in women, due to the anatomy of the female pelvic floor, pregnancy and childbirth. It is worth mentioning that UI has an impact on quality of life in the pregnancy-puerperal cycle, with an increase in its incidence during pregnancy and the puerperium, with repercussions in several domains of women's lives. Objective(s): To assess the prevalence of UI in pregnant women, identify risk factors for its onset and assess the impacts caused on the quality of life of pregnant women with urinary symptoms. Methods: This is an analytical quantitative cross-sectional study, carried out from October to December 2022. Data collection was carried out with voluntary participation of 98 pregnant women in the maternity ward of a public hospital in the city of Belo Horizonte, with the objective of survey of sociodemographic data and application of a quality of life questionnaire (Qol). Results: Of the 98 patients interviewed, 35.1% had a positive response to the presence of urinary incontinence, with an average BMI of around 30 kg/m2, of which 8 were smokers before pregnancy and 21 of them had already had one or more vaginal deliveries, relating p value <0.006. Still, when asked about the impact on quality of life, through the King's Health Questionnaire, the average of the answers approached the concept “a little” contained in the questionnaire, indicating that there was an impact on quality of life due to urinary symptoms. Conclusion: This study concluded that factors such as high BMI, smoking and vaginal delivery are considered important for triggering urinary incontinence during pregnancy and negatively impact the quality of life of pregnant women, resulting in a worsening of the general perception of health.