Examination of the relationship between toilet behavior, urinary incontinence, and urinary symptoms in desk-working women

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between toileting behaviors, urinary incontinence, and urinary symptoms in desk-working women. The study included women aged 18–65 years, both desk workers (n = 93) and non-desk workers (n = 98). After assessing the women's physical and sociodemographic characteristics, lower urinary tract symptoms and urinary incontinence were evaluated using the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-SF), the Overactive Bladder Questionnaire-V8 (OAB-V8), and the Urogenital Distress Inventory-6 (UDI-6). Toileting behaviors were assessed using the Toileting Behavior: Women's Elimination Behavior Scale, while the presence of and individual bother related to common pelvic floor symptoms were assessed using the Pelvic Floor Bother Questionnaire (PFBQ). Reasons for delaying toileting were explored through closed-ended questions. The findings showed that urinary symptoms, toileting behaviors, pelvic floor dysfunction, and toileting delay and its causes were similar between desk and non-desk working women. The median ICIQ-SF score was higher among non-desk workers compared to desk workers. A significant positive correlation was found between OAB-V8 and UDI-6 scores (r=0.637, p<0.001) in desk workers. In non-desk workers, OAB-V8 was significantly correlated with both UDI-6 (r=0.614, p<0.001) and PFBQ (r=0.619, p<0.001), as well as UDI-6 with PFBQ (r=0.671, p<0.001). As a result of this study, it was observed that women's desk-based working status did not create a significant difference in toileting behaviors. It is considered that the protection of bladder health in women is not solely limited to working conditions but is also associated with general lifestyle factors, health awareness, and individual habits. Therefore, preventive health services should be extended to encompass all groups of women. KEYWORDS: Toileting behaviours, Urinary incontinence, Urinary symptom, Bladder health