Urinary incontinence in middle‐aged and older women with hip and knee osteoarthritis: An outpatient study of frequency and risk factors

Aims To investigate the frequency and the factors associated with urinary incontinence (UI) in a sample of middle‐aged and older women with lower limb osteoarthritis (OA). Methods Women aged 50 years or older with clinical hip/knee OA diagnoses were recruited for this cross‐sectional study. Self‐reported UI and type, sociodemographic characteristics, medical conditions, physical activity level, anthropometric and body composition measurements, muscle strength, and physical function were assessed. Uni and multivariable logistic regression were used to investigate the factors associated with UI. Results Among 100 middle‐aged and older women (mean 67.27 ± 8.77 SD years), 67% reported UI. In the UI group, 33% reported stress UI, 36% reported urgency UI, and 31% reported mixed UI. In the univariate analysis, age, level of physical activity, pulmonary disease, number of medications, body mass index (BMI), number of deliveries, and activity limitation were significantly associated with UI. In the multivariable analysis, older age (60−69 years OR: 4.91, 95% CI: 1.25−19.36; ≥70 years OR: 8.06, 95% CI: 1.96−33.22), compared to 50−59 years, morbid obesity (OR: 14.10, 95% CI: 1.36−146.48), compared to BMI