Prevalence of Self-reported Urinary Incontinence and Associated Knowledge, Awareness, and Attitudes among Adults in Anand District, Gujarat, India: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Urinary incontinence (UI) is common, frequently under-reported, and associated with physical, psychological, and social burden. Community-based evidence that includes both women and men and examines knowledge and attitudes remains limited in India. Objective: To estimate self-reported UI prevalence, compare prevalence by sex, describe UI-related knowledge, awareness, attitudes, and symptom distress, and identify perceived barriers to care among adults in Anand District, Gujarat. Methods: This community-based cross-sectional study included 300 adults (150 women and 150 men; mean age 39.06 +/- 17.95 years) recruited by convenience and purposive sampling from urban and rural talukas. A demographic questionnaire, the Urinary Distress Inventory-6 (UDI-6), the Urinary Incontinence Knowledge Scale (UIKS), and the Urinary Incontinence Awareness and Attitude Scale (URINAS) were administered. Descriptive statistics and Pearson chi-square testing were used; 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for prevalence estimates. Results: Self-reported UI was present in 32 participants (10.67%; 95% CI 7.66%-14.67%), including 28 women (18.67%; 95% CI 13.24%-25.66%) and 4 men (2.67%; 95% CI 1.04%-6.66%). The sex difference was significant (chi-square = 20.15, p < 0.001), with a crude female-to-male odds ratio of 8.38 (95% CI 2.86-24.54). Poor UI knowledge was observed in 91 women (60.7%) and 7 men (4.7%), whereas good knowledge was observed in 26 women (17.3%) and 123 men (82.0%). Across the full sample, 87% regarded UI as a normal consequence of ageing and 81.67% were unaware of pelvic floor muscle training. Commonly endorsed barriers to care included shyness regarding physical examination (27.33%), clinician gender (27.0%), and embarrassment (18.67%). Conclusion: In this non-probability community sample, self-reported UI was more frequent among women than men and coexisted with substantial knowledge gaps and perceived barriers to care. The findings support locally adapted continence education and accessible, preference-sensitive care while underscoring the need for probability-based studies with clinically validated case definitions.