Objectives: To review the epidemiological evidence on risk factors for urinary incontinence (UI) in women.
Methods: Using Medline and a manual search we identified the main papers published in English up to 1998.
Results: There is consistent evidence that the frequency of UI increases with age, but there is little information on the frequency of different types of UI in different age groups. With regard to other risk factors, there is a clinical consensus that vaginal delivery and, more in general, obstetric traumas are associated with UI, although epidemiological studies are not always consistent. Less defined is the role of race, menopausal status, history of gynecological surgery, body mass index, smoking, and coffee and alcohol consumption on the risk of UI.
Conclusion: In the coming years, epidemiological research should focus particularly on the potential differences in the epidemiological characteristics of different types of UI in order to gain insight into the pathogenic mechanisms.