How Common Is Urinary Incontinence?
Here are some numbers about urinary incontinence:1
- The likelihood of having incontinence increases with age.
- Urinary incontinence is at least twice as common in women as in men.
- Between 3 and 6 out of 10 middle-aged and older women report having any incontinence.
- Between 1 and 4 out of 10 older men report having any incontinence.
- About 1 or 2 out of 10 middle-aged and older women report having daily urinary incontinence.
- Fewer than 1 out of 10 older men report having daily urinary incontinence.
- White women are more likely to have stress urinary incontinence compared to African-American and Asian women.
- Up to 3 out of 10 older adults living at home have problems with urinary incontinence.2
- About 3 out of 10 older adults in the hospital have incontinence.2
- About 5 out of 10 older adults living in nursing homes or other long-term care facilities have incontinence.2
Citations
- Chapple CR, Milson I (2012). Urinary incontinence and pelvic prolapse: Epidemiology and pathophysiology. In AJ Wein et al., eds., Campbell-Walsh Urology, 10th ed., vol. 3, pp. 1871–1895. Philadelphia: Saunders.
- Resnick, NM (2012). Incontinence. In L Goldman, A Shafer, eds., Goldman's Cecil Medicine, 24th ed., pp. 110–114. Philadelphia: Saunders.
| By | Healthwise Staff |
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| Primary Medical Reviewer | E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine |
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| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Avery L. Seifert, MD - Urology |
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| Last Revised | September 11, 2012 |
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Last Revised:
September 11, 2012
Chapple CR, Milson I (2012). Urinary incontinence and pelvic prolapse: Epidemiology and pathophysiology. In AJ Wein et al., eds., Campbell-Walsh Urology, 10th ed., vol. 3, pp. 1871–1895. Philadelphia: Saunders.
Resnick, NM (2012). Incontinence. In L Goldman, A Shafer, eds., Goldman's Cecil Medicine, 24th ed., pp. 110–114. Philadelphia: Saunders.
