Incontinence in the Elderly
All older adults are susceptible to incontinence. One in 10 people over age 65 have some type of bladder control loss. About 12% of women ages 60 to 64 and 21% of women age 85 and over experience daily urinary incontinence. About half of the elderly who are housebound or in nursing homes experience incontinence.
Incontinence in Women
Six out of every seven cases of adult incontinence occur in women. Between 10 - 30% of women experience incontinence during their lifetimes, with the highest rates occurring in women who have had children. In one major 2003 Norwegian study of women under age 65, 20% experienced incontinence, with 8.7% of women reporting moderate-to-severe incontinence. Women are generally more at risk for urinary incontinence than men because they are shorter (around 2 inches versus 10 inches).
Birth Conditions. Pregnancy and childbirth may increase the risk for urinary incontinence. The risk is highest with the first child, and there is an increased risk in women who have their first child over age 30. Some studies suggest that women who used the drug oxytocin for inducing labor are at higher risk for developing urinary incontinence. Such medically induced labor tends to subject the muscles and nerves in the pelvis to greater force than does natural labor.
Studies indicate that the method of birth can affect risk later in life. For example, a major 2003 study reported that women who had a cesarean section had a much lower risk for stress incontinence before age 50 than women who had vaginal delivery. However, a 2006 study contradicted many assumptions by suggesting that vaginal delivery is not associated with later development of urinary incontinence in postmenopausal women. The study compared sisters who had either given birth vaginally or had never had children. Researchers found no difference in rates of urinary incontinence. The study suggested that cesarean delivery may not make much difference in preventing urinary incontinence.
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