Quality of life and self-esteem in women living with urinary incontinence in Turkey

This study was conducted to determine the quality of life and self-esteem levels of women with urinary incontinence (UI). A total of 180 women participated in this cross-sectional study. This study was conducted in two stages. First, the international consultation on incontinence questionnaire-UI short form (ICIQ-SF) was implemented, and then other measures were applied to the women who scored 8 or more as the most appropriate cut-off point for ‘irritating’ UI. More specifically, a personal information form, the Rosenberg self-esteem scale (RBSS), the urogenital distress inventory-6 (UDI-6), and the incontinence impact questionnaire-7 (IIQ-7) were applied. It was observed that the mean self-esteem score of women with UI was generally sufficient. In line with the data obtained, it was observed that as the UI levels of women increased, their quality of life decreased. Similarly, a decrease was observed in the self-esteem levels of women whose quality of life decreased. As a woman's UI worsens, levels of urogenital distress increase and quality of life decreases, which leads to decreased self-esteem. Urinary incontinence is often kept secret, ignored, considered private, and seen as an unavoidable consequence of ageing.