Urinary Incontinence and Pelvic Organ Prolapse Knowledge Among Young Women Living in Hungary

OBJECTIVES: Urinary incontinence (UI) and pelvic organ prolapse (POP) represent a major healthcare issue, affecting millions of women worldwide. The aim of this study was to assess the level of knowledge young women had regarding UI and POP in Hungary.

METHODS: A quantitative, cross-sectional study was conducted between March and October 2022 using a self-administrated online questionnaire. The Prolapse and Incontinence Knowledge Questionnaire (PIKQ) was used to assess subjects’ knowledge about UI and POP. It consists of two distinct scales: the first one, PIKQ-UI, focuses on UI knowledge, whereas the second one, PIKQ-POP, measures knowledge about POP. The total score of each scale can range from 0 to 12, with higher scores indicating greater knowledge. The International Consultation of Incontinence Questionnaire – Short Form (ICIQ-SF) was used to gather information about the symptoms of urinary incontinence. The total score can range from 0 to 21, with higher scores suggesting more severe symptoms. Inclusion criteria included Hungarian women aged 18 to 24 years.

RESULTS: 221 women were included in the study with a mean age of 20.65 ±1.67 years. Mean score of the PIKQ-UI scale was 6.78±3.21 points, whereas mean score of the PIKQ-POP scale was 3.90±3.52 points. Greater knowledge about UI was significantly associated with the following factors: higher level of education (p=0.001), work in a medical field (p=0.001) and ever practiced pelvic floor muscle training (p=0.001). Greater knowledge about POP was significantly associated with higher level of education (p=0.023), work in a medical field (p=0.001) and greater knowledge about UI (p=0.001). Of the 34 participants who reported history of UI, only 4 (11.8%) women had sought care.

CONCLUSIONS: In the present study, Hungarian young women had limited knowledge about UI and POP. Additionally, health care seeking for UI was low.