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Urinary incontinence in older adult women: fighting a rising tide

02 January 2025
Volume 30 · Issue 1

Abstract

The world's population is rapidly ageing, with conditions such as urinary incontinence, which are especially prevalent among older adults, expected to rise in prevalence as a result. Urinary incontinence is particularly common in older women; however, despite its profound impact on every aspect of women's health and wellbeing, it is often minimised by both individual patients and the wider healthcare system. Francesca Ramadan delves into the prevalence of and psychosocial effects and patient-related factors related to urinary incontinence in older women.

The world's population is ageing rapidly. In 2020, the share of the global population aged 60 years and over was estimated to be 1 billion; this number is projected to increase to 1.4 billion by 2030 and 2.1 billion by 2050, with the number of persons aged 80 years or older expected to triple between 2020 and 2050, to reach 426 million (World Health Organization, 2024).

Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common condition that is especially prevalent among older adults, with a profound impact on wellbeing and quality of life. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) (2024) defines UI as any involuntary leakage of urine and highlights that the main risk factor underlying this condition is older age, with prevalence increasing up to middle age, plateauing or decreasing between 50 and 70 years of age, and rising again with advanced age.

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