Relationship between sexual function, urinary incontinence, depression, anxiety and stress among women

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between sexual function, urinary incontinence, depression, anxiety and stress in women. Materials and Methods: The sample of this descriptive and correlational study included 383 women who applied to the outpatient clinics of a training and research hospital in northern Turkey, agreed to participate in the study and met the inclusion criteria. The research data were collected with personal information form, Female Sexual Function Inventory (FSFI), International Incontinence Questionnaire Short Form (ICIQ-SF), Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale (DASS-21) by face-to-face method between 20 February 2023 and 1 September 2023. Descriptive statistical methods, Skewness and Kurtosis coefficients, t test, One Way ANOVA test, Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis test were used to analyze the data. Results: The mean age of the women who participated in the study was 35.13±6.84 years. The mean FSFI score of the women was 25.29±6.47 and 48.8% had sexual function problems (FSFI ≥ 26.55).The mean FSFI subscale scores were as follows: desire 3.55±0.99, arousal 4.07±1.22, lubrication 4.27±1.32, orgasm 4.02±1.28, satisfaction 4.38±1.23, and pain 4.97±1.38. The mean ICIQ-SF scale score was 2.66±3.74. It was found that 38.6% of the women had urinary incontinence. The mean DASS scores of the women were found to be 3.96±3.04 for depression subscale, 2.85±2.66 for anxiety subscale and 5.82±2.93 for stress subscale. According to the cut-off points of the DASS, it was found that 38.6% of women experienced depression, 35% experienced anxiety, and 22.2% experienced stress. It was determined that there were "moderate" statistically significant negative correlations between the FSFI and ICIQ-SF (r=-.559), DASS Depression (r=-.428), DASS Anxiety (r=-.317), and DASS Stress (r=-.370). According to multiple regression analysis, urinary incontinence and depression were found to be significant predictors of sexual function (p<0.05). Conclusion: Approximately one in every two women had a sexual function problem, and four in ten women had urinary incontinence. Depression, anxiety and stress were moderate in women. Urinary incontinence and depression were found to be important predictors of sexual function in women. Increasing the awareness of health professionals about sexual function, urinary incontinence, depression, anxiety and stress in women and further research are recommended.