Examining the coping behaviors and the quality of life in patients with urinary incontinence

This research is a descriptive study carried out to examine the coping behaviors and the quality of life in patients with Urinary incontinence. It was carried out in individuas referred to Urology Polyclinic of Ege University Medical Faculty Hospital between November 2016 and March 2017 comprised the the scope of research. And also patients thatwere contacted and complied with the sampling criteria comprised the sampling of research (n=120). Data of research were collected by face-to-face interview technique. During collection of data following questions aimed at identification of personal descriptive data and the coping behaviors such as "Informative and Coping Behaviors Survey Form", "Urogenital Distress Inventory", "Incontinence Effect Questionnaire" and "Incontinence Quality of Life Scale" were used. For research, written approval from the ethical committee and the organization where research was carried out was obtained; in addition, individuals that participated in research provided verbal consent. Data were tested in SPSS program using number and percentage distributions, variance analysis and t test. As a result of research it was observed that 55 % of individuals included in research were females, 75.8 % were married, 42.5 % were elementary or secondary school graduates, 63.3 % had a chronic disease, 39.2 % had stress type of urinary incontinence, in 45.8 % length of incontinence was between 6 mounts and 2 years, 34.2 % generally had urinary incontinence, 46.7 % had felt very upset because of urinary incontinence, 57.5 % had referred to a doctor immediately when incontinence occurred; 14.2 % of those failed to visit a doctor because they were ashamed and abstained. In the patients included in the scope of research, the mean total scores of incontinence effect questionnaire was found to be 44,32±20,5, the mean scores of Urogenital Distress Inventory 50,92 ± 19,10 in total scale; 19,95±8,28 in irritant symptoms, 19,07 ± 7,57 in stress symptoms, and 11,89±8,25 in obstructive symptoms. Individuals' total scores of quality of life were 60,74 ± 16,29; their total subscale scores were 21,93 ±5,76 in "limiting the behavior and avoidance"; 25,63±7,40 in "psycohological effect"; 13,16±4,11 in "limiting the social life". At the end of research it was found that Women's quality of life scores were higher than men (64,15 ± 16,44). The scores of Individuals over 50 years of age and those that have a chronic disease and those that have mix type of incontinence had lower quality of life (p< 0.05). It was observed that an increase in the frequency and length of urinary incontinence affect quality of life adversely (p>0.05), patients having fecal incontinence as well as urinary incontinence have a poorer quality of life (p<0.05), the top three coping behaviors with incontinence were "using hydrophilic pad/ready pad","contracting muscles when coughing/sneezing", "reducing the amount of fluid taken daily", "performing Kegel exercises" (p> 0.05). In women included in research there was a significant negative relationship between İYKÖ and Incontinence Effect Questionnaire (IIQ-7) and Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI-6) in terms of mean total and subscale scores; whereas there was a significant positive relationship between Incontinence Effect Questionnaire and Urogenital Distress Inventory in terms of mean total and subscale scores.