Urinary incontinence (UI) and new psychological distress among community dwelling older adults

This study aimed at determining whether UI is associated with increased risk for the onset of psychological distress. This was a population based longitudinal survey of adults aged 50 and older who did not report psychological distress in 1993 and for whom complete data were available. Participants were classified as having UI if they reported uncontrolled urine loss within 12 months of the 1993 interview. Condition-specific functional loss secondary to UI was assessed by questions on participants’ ability to engage in certain activities due to UI. Psychological distress was assessed using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) in 2004. The continuing participants were living in East Baltimore, Maryland in 1981. Persons with UI in 1993 were more likely to experience new psychological distress in 2004 than were persons without UI in 1993 adjusting for potentially influential covariates (relative odds (RO) = 2.18, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.19–4.01). Persons with condition-specific functional loss secondary to UI were more likely to experience new psychological distress than were persons without UI adjusting for potentially influential covariates (RO = 7.57, 95%CI = 2.92–19.62). We conclude that UI, especially when associated with condition-specific functional loss, predicted the onset of psychological distress among community dwelling older adults.