AIMS OF STUDY:
The goals of this study were to estimate the prevalence and to correlate the urinary incontinence in community-dwelling women over 50 years of age.

METHODS :
The study were conducted in a industrialized agricultural area of Du-Dong and a typical farming village of Jang-Ma in the southern region of Korea. The community population had 1,529 women over 50 years old, clustered around 8 rural divisions in Du-Dong and 11 divisions in Jang-Ma. The data were collected from Feb. 17th to 22nd in 1997 for Du-Dong and from Feb 14th to 19th for Jang-Ma. The interviews using questionnaires regarding general characteristics, obstetric history, disease-related factors, and urinary symptoms including incontinence. In addition, urinary analysis, uroflow, ultrasonography, and physical examination were performed by research team which consist of 30 medical person including three urological housing faculties of Pusan National University Hospital.

RESULTS :
Of 1,529 female residents over 50 years old, 754 women were participated to our study. The response rate was 49.3%. The prevalence of incontinence was 62.7%(473/754) for those who participated. The prevalence of stress urinary incontinence was 26.3%, 28.9%, 19.7% and 20.0% respectively for each decade over 50 and unto 89 years of age. The prevalence of incontinence according to BMI was 60.6%(314/518) in low or normal weight female (BMI <25), 71.1%(113/159) in overweight or obese group (BMI =25). When stress incontinence were correlated with BMI, BMI<25 group had 22.8%(118/518), but BMI=25 group had 33.3%(53/159). The prevalence of incontinence according to the number of deliveries was 48/89(53.9%) for those who had less than 2 deliveries and 425/665(63.9%) for those who had more than 3 deliveries. However, the prevalence of stress incontinence was 13.5%(12/89) and 27.1%(180/665), respectively. Of 433 women who suffered from stress incontinence, 331(76.4%) females also had cystocele, and 308(71.1%) females complained of rectocele.

CONCLUSIONS:
The prevalence of female incontinence in this study was relatively higher compared to other studies. Most of incontinent women didn't recognize the incontinence as a pathological state, and consequently, didn't bothered to visit doctor. Such behavior suggests that they need more information and more education toward urinary incontinence.