尿失禁を有する一般成人女性のQOLと関連する要因について  [in Japanese] Current status of quality of life(QOL) and related factors for QOL level in ordinary adult women with urinary incontinence  [in Japanese]

わが国では成人女性の30〜40%が尿失禁を経験しており,尿失禁によって社会的活動やQOLが著しく損なわれる場合が少なくないものと推測される。今回,尿失禁を経験している一般成人女性819人を対象としてQOLの実態およびQOLに関連する要因について検討し,以下のことが明らかになった。1.尿失禁経験者の約半数は,漏れなくなって欲しい,治らないと困る,知られたくない,恥ずかしいなどの社会的ストレスを感じていた。2.尿失禁経験者のおよそ20%は,趣味やレジャー,旅行や仕事など,外出や人との交流が必要な場面において影響があると回答した。3.QOLは,尿失禁の程度が重い者,出産回数が1〜2回,母親の尿失禁既往,分娩の異常,子宮膀胱下垂感,尿失禁以外の排泄障害の合併および骨盤底筋群体操を実施した女性ではそうでない女性に比較して有意に低下していた。以上,一般成人女性において尿失禁を有することがQOLを著しく低下させる要因となっていることが明らかとなり,尿失禁の発症を予防していくための啓発活動をより推進するとともに,個人がもつ心情を少しでも軽減できるようなかかわりが必要であることが示唆された。

Purpose and methods: It has been reported that 30 to 40 percent of ordinary adult women in Japan have experienced urinary incontinence. It has been suggested that urinary incontinence has a bad effect on quality of life(QOL) and social activity. The aim of this study was to investigate the current status of QOL and related factors for QOL level in 819 ordinary adult women with urinary incontinence by using a questionnaire survey. Results: Fifty percent of women with urinary incontinence were experiencing social stress, such as wanting to recover from urinary incontinence, feeling troubled if they are unable to recover from urinary incontinence, being embarrassed about their condition, and hoping that nobody knows about their condition. Also, 20 percent of women with incontinence felt adversely affected in their daily lives such as hobbies, leisure, vacation and work. Factors associated with QOL level included severity of urinary incontinence, number of deliveries such as para 1 and 2, a medical history of urinary incontinence in their own mothers, abnormal passage during labor, consciousness in synchronous dropping of uterus and bladder, complication of fecal incontinence and hemorrhoids, and the inability to recover by pelvic floor muscle exercise training. Conclusions: These results suggest that QOL level is reduced in women with urinary incontinence and that there is a need for education and raising the awareness about urinary incontinence, and psychological counseling for women with urinary incontinence.