1. International Neurourology Journal 2015;19:39-46
Population-Based Survey on Disease Insight, Quality of Life, and Health-Seeking Behavior Associated With Female Urinary Incontinence
Hoon Choi1, Jae Young Park1, Jeong Kyun Yeo2, Mi Mi Oh1, Du Geon Moon1, Jeong Gu Lee1, Jae Hyun Bae1
1Department of Urology, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
2Department of Urology, Inje University Seoul Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (
org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

2. International Neurourology Journal 2015;19:39-46
INTRODUCTION
Increased knowledge of
the comorbidities and personal burden specifically associated with urinary incontinence (UI)
may improve the management of this condition.
However, there has been little effort to
create public awareness of this problem
To evaluate
disease insight, personal distress, and healthcare-seeking behavior of
women with UI
in Korea.

3. International Neurourology Journal 2015;19:39-46
MATERIALS AND METHODS
2012
500 Korean women
residing around Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi-do
Selected by random sampling
for a population-based cross-sectional survey
conducted by computer-aided telephone interview.
Sixteen questions
Information on demographic characteristics, information sources, disease insights, and general health- seeking behavior,
used for data collection.

4. International Neurourology Journal 2015;19:39-46
RESULTS
Among the responders,
23.8% experienced UI,
the prevalence of which increased with increasing age;
83.3% knew about UI through the mass media out of 98.2% apprehended people.
General awareness of UI, 77.2% understood that UI is caused by aging.
A total of 48.7% of subjects experienced
societal restrictions because of UI.

5. International Neurourology Journal 2015;19:39-46
RESULTS
Most women in their 30s (25.6%)
acquired UI information from the Internet
50s and 60s (50–59 years, 51.1%; 60–64 years, 42.4%)
learned about UI through friends
Among those with UI
only 59.0% had talked about UI
79.7% had talked with friends or associates, whereas only 23.2% had consulted a professional.

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CONCLUSIONS
Most respondents tended to obtain information on UI through the mass media.
Subjects who did not have UI expressed their intention to consult a professional if they developed UI, while the percentage of subjects with UI who had consulted a professional was very low.
Many women are ashamed of UI in Korea, which may be changed by providing efficient advertising with the right information and establishing a new perception of UI.

7. International Neurourology Journal 2015;19:39-46
Table 1. Data on question 1
Question 1
Age (yr)
Education level
Normal delivery
Total (n=500)
30–39 (n=140)
40–49 (n=140)
50–59 (n=140)
60–64 (n=80)
Under high school (n=256)
Over high school (n=244)
Experienced (n=343)
Naïve
(n=157)
Have you ever heard of urinary incontinence?
Yes
98.2
98.6
100
97.9
95.0
96.9
99.6
98.0
98.7 No
1.8
1.4
2.1
5.0
3.1
0.4
2.0
1.3
Values are presented as percentage.

8. International Neurourology Journal 2015;19:39-46
Table 2. Data on question 2
Question 2
Age (yr)
Urinary incontinence
Normal delivery
Total (n=491)
30–39 (n=138)
40–49 (n=140)
50–59 (n=137)
60–64 (n=76)
Experienced (n=117)
Naïve
(n=374)
Experienced (n=336)
(n=155)
Have you received any kind of information about urinary incontinence within the past 3 months?
Yes
33.0
28.3
30.7
34.3
43.4
40.2
33.6
31.6 No
67.0
71.7
69.3
65.7
56.6
59.8
66.4
68.4
Values are presented as percentage.

9. Table 3. Data on question 3a)
International Neurourology Journal 2015;19:39-46
Table 3. Data on question 3a)
Source
Age (yr)
Urinary incontinence
Normal delivery
Total (n=162)
30–39 (n=39)
40–49 (n=43)
50–59 (n=47)
60–64 (n=33)
Experienced (n=47)
Naïve
(n=115)
Experienced (n=113)
(n=49)
TV/Radio
83.3
84.6
93.0
83.0
69.7
78.7
85.2
80.5
89.8
Friends
34.0
17.9
23.3
51.1
42.4
27.0
38.1
24.5
Magazine
16.0
20.5
16.3
12.8
15.2
10.6
18.3
17.7
12.2
Internet
14.8
25.6
14.0
17.0 -
13.9
11.5
22.4
Family
11.7
10.3
9.3
18.2
12.4
10.2
Hospital
6.2
5.1
4.7
6.4
6.1
5.3
8.2
Etc.
2.5
2.6
2.1
3.5
2.7
2.0
Values are presented as percentage.
a)From whom the information of UI was received within past 3 months?

10. International Neurourology Journal 2015;19:39-46
Table 4. Data on question 4
Question 4
Age (yr)
Normal delivery
Total (n=491)
30–39 (n=138)
40–49 (n=140)
50–59 (n=137)
60–64 (n=76)
Experienced (n=336)
Naïve
(n=155)
Have you experienced urinary incontinence in the past 6 months?
Yes
23.8
13.0
23.6
32.1
28.9
29.8
11.0 No
76.2
87.0
76.4
67.9
71.1
70.2
89.0
Values are presented as percentage.

11. Table 5. Data on questions 8 to 12
International Neurourology Journal 2015;19:39-46
Table 5. Data on questions 8 to 12
Questions 8 to 12
Age (yr)
Urinary incontinence
Normal delivery
Total (n=491)
30–39 (n=138)
40–49 (n=140)
50–59 (n=137)
60–64 (n=76)
Experienced (n=117)
Naïve (n=374)
Experienced (n=336)
Naïve (n=155)
8. UI is a natural outcome of aging or childbirth
Agree
77.2
79.7
81.4
73.0
72.4
88.9
73.5
78.0
75.5
Disagree
13.4
12.3
13.6
12.4
17.1
8.5
15.0
11.6
17.4
9. Normal activity including mild exercise is restricted by UI
77.0
77.5
77.9
74.5
78.9
70.9
75.6
80.0
16.7
18.1
20.0
13.9
13.2
23.1
14.7
17.9
14.2
10. Social activity is restricted by UI
48.7
35.5
42.9
57.7
67.1
50.4
48.1
48.8
48.4
42.8
58.7
50.0
29.9
23.7
41.9
43.0
42.6
43.2
11. UI could be handled by the use of protective products
60.3
74.6
48.9
42.1
62.4
59.6
58.0
65.2
24.2
20.7
33.6
25.0
28.2
23.0
24.1
24.5
12. UI could be overcome by the use of exercise or diet control
58.9
68.8
59.3
54.7
47.4
59.0
58.8
59.8
56.8
16.1
14.5
16.4
16.8
19.7
15.2
Values are presented as percentage.
All the responses were expressed as “agree” or “disagree”.
UI, urinary incontinence.

12. Table 6. Data on questions 13 to 16
International Neurourology Journal 2015;19:39-46
Table 6. Data on questions 13 to 16
Questions 13 to 16
Age (yr)
Normal delivery
Total (n=117)
30–39 (n=18)
40–49 (n=33)
50–59 (n=44)
60–64 (n=22)
Experienced (n=100)
Naïve
(n=17)
13. Do you feel discomfort because of UI?
Yes
50.4
50.0
42.4
52.3
59.1
47.0
70.6 No
57.6
43.2
36.4
29.4
14. Has your participation in activities decreased?
20.5
21.1
12.1 25
31.8
18.0
35.3
76.9
88.9
84.8
72.7
63.6
80.0
58.8
15. Have you ever neglected your UI because of shame?
25.6
22.2
18.2
29.5
26.0
23.5
72.6
77.8
78.8
70.5
72.0
76.5
16. Have you ever hesitated to buy protective products for UI?
12.0 -
11.4
11.8
54.7
72.2
75.8
45.5
54.0
Values are presented as percentage.
UI, urinary incontinence.