Factors of urinary incontinence on pregnancy and quality of life of pregnant women

Objective: The aim of this study was investigate urinary incontinence (UI), affecting factors and quality of life (QOL) compared to trimesters during pregnancy. Methods: A total of 195 pregnant women with UI, 75 from second trimester and 120 from third trimester who applied to obstetrics clinics of two hospitals for routine pregnancy follow-up were included in the study. Sociodemographic, obstetric characteristics and the factors that prepare for UI were examined according to trimesters of pregnant women. ICIQ-SF and I-QOL forms were used to evaluate UI and QOL. Data were entered into SPSS 22.0 program, Student's t, Chi-square, Fisher exact test, Mann Whitney U test were used. Results: In second and third trimesters, most common situation was UI while coughing / sneezing (80-69.2%), and then not being able to reach the toilet (24-34.2%). Total QOL scores were 79.45 ± 15.80 in the second trimester and 79.81 ± 16.92 in third trimester. The increase incidence of UI in second trimester compared to primipara was statistically significant (p=0.01; p<0.05). Type of birth and gestational weight gain didn't affect frequency and amount of UI (p> 0.05). Conclusion: The effect of UI on the QOL was similar in pregnancy compared to trimesters. Parity is a factor that increases the frequency of UI in the second trimester. Frequent and large amounts of UI impair the QOL of pregnant women. Nurses should be aware that pregnancy is a risky period for UI and should raise awareness of pregnant women. Keywords: Urinary Incontinence, pregnancy, quality of life, nursing