Prevalence of Urinary Incontinence in Females Performing High-Impact Exercises

Abstract The aim of this cross-sectional study was to monitor the prevalence of symptoms of stress (SUI) and mixed urinary incontinence (MUI) in sportswomen performing high-impact exercises. A further objective was to compare the symptoms of urinary incontinence (UI) and quality of life in sportswomen. We used the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire (ICIQ-SF), the Overactive Bladder Questionnaire (OAB-q), the Urinary Incontinence Quality of Life Scale (I-QOL) and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), short version. The group consisted of 503 sportswomen with a mean age of 21.1±3.6. The response rate was 71.15%. ICIQ-SF results confirmed mild difficulties with urine leakage in 72 (14.3%) sportswomen. Urinary leakage was not noted in 431 (85.7%) sportswomen. The OAB-q and I-QOL showed a significant difference, with pronounced symptoms of UUI and worse QOL in the group of sportswomen with urine leakage (p