Risk Factors for Urinary Incontinence in School Age Children

In Turkey, the rate of daytime urinary incontinence (DUI) was studied in primary school-aged children. A questionnaire was completed by parents of 2164 students. The Dysfunctional Voiding and Incontinence Symptoms Score Questionnaire was utilized and includes 14 questions about daytime and nighttime symptoms, voiding and bowel habits, and quality of life.

The population studied included approximately half boys and girls, with nearly half living in rural versus urban settings, and of a mean age of 10 years old. The overall prevalence of DUI was 8% (8.8% in girls, 7.3% in boys), and decreased with increasing age in this study population of children in 1st through 8th grades. 57.8% of those who did experience involuntary loss of urine were wetting less than 1x/day, 26.6% were wetting 1-2 times/day, and 15.6% were wetting greater than 2x/day. Urge incontinence was reported in nearly 59% of the children with DUI.

Independent risk factors for DUI included age, maternal educational level, family history of daytime wetting, urban versus rural setting, history of constipation or urinary tract infection (UTI), and urinary urgency. The authors conclude that "…educational programs and larger school-based screening should be carried out, especially in regions with low socioeconomic status." In this study, one of the strategies used to increase the survey response rate was to send medical and public health residents to the schools to speak about the study on 2 occasions.

Despite the numbers of therapists who have previously trained with educators such as faculty member Dawn Sandalcidi in her coursework for pediatric bowel and bladder function, the number of therapists focusing on pediatric pelvic health remains small while the need is great. Therapists who wish to expand community reach to pediatric urologists and pediatricians, and to serve the children who may unfortunately become adults who have bowel and bladder dysfunction, have the opportunity to attend the Pediatric Incontinence and Pelvic Floor Dysfunction continuing education course in Greenville, South Carolina this August.