Risk Factors for Urinary Incontinence

It is possible to develop chronic urinary incontinence with or without the risk factors listed below. However, the more risk factors you have, the greater your likelihood of developing urinary incontinence. If you have a number of risk factors, ask your doctor what you can do to reduce your risk.

Although there are many different causes of incontinence, the risk factors listed here pertain to the most common types of incontinence.

Conditions

The following conditions increase your risk of developing incontinence:

For women: multiple pregnancies, hysterectomy
For men: prostate enlargement or prostate surgery
Dementia
Overweight and obesity
Poor mobility
The need to wake at night to urinate (nocturia)

Age

The risk of incontinence generally increases with age.

Gender

Women are more likely to develop stress incontinence . Men are more likely to develop incontinence related to obstruction and over-filling.

References

Beers M. The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy. 17th ed. Whitehouse Station, NJ: Merck Research Laboratories; 1999.

Kasper DL, Harrison TR. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 14th ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 1998.

Minassian VA, Stewart WF, Wood GC. Urinary incontinence in women: variation in prevalence estimates and risk factors. Obstet Gynecol. 2008;111(2 Pt 1):324-331.

Miu DK, Lau S, Szeto SS. Etiology and predictors of urinary incontinence and its effect on quality of life. Geriatr Gerontol Int. 2010;10(2):177-182.

Revision Information

Reviewer: Adrienne Carmack, MD
Review Date: 09/2012
Update Date: 00/91/2012

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.