Unravelling the Links Between Urine Leakage, Frequency, Types of Incontinence and Stigma in Older Adults: A Cross‐Sectional Study

BACKGROUND: Urinary incontinence, often perceived as embarrassing, perpetuates the stigma that delays treatment and encourages concealment. This stigma significantly diminishes quality of life and imposes both financial and medical burdens. Although prior research has examined stigma reduction in urinary incontinence, it persists as a widespread issue. Most studies have focused on interviews, primarily addressing urine leakage, with a limited understanding of the factors influencing urinary incontinence stigma and their interrelations. More in-depth quantitative studies are crucial to inform targeted interventions. AIM: (1) To develop targeted interventions aimed at alleviating urinary incontinence-related stigma in older adults. (2) To identify factors that mitigate stigma in older adults with urinary incontinence. (3) To examine the associations between these factors and stigma. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. METHOD: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 510 older adults across three hospitals in Guangdong from July 2022 to January 2024, utilising the SSCI-24 and Incontinence Severity Index. Three multivariate linear regression models, adjusted for covariates based on directed acyclic graphs, were employed to explore the relationships between variables and stigma. Additionally, subgroup analyses were performed. RESULTS: Participants reported higher levels of self-stigma compared to perceived stigma. Multivariate analysis revealed significant associations between urinary incontinence type, severity, frequency of micturitions and stigma. Key factors contributing to stigma reduction include managing incontinence severity, reducing frequency of micturitions and preventing the progression to mixed incontinence. CONCLUSION: The study identified associations between urinary incontinence characteristics-type, severity and frequency of micturitions-and stigma. Strategies for stigma reduction are proposed, underscoring the vital role of nurses in this process. IMPACT: The findings of this study contribute to a deeper understanding of stigma surrounding urinary incontinence in older adults and provide insights for developing more effective interventions by healthcare professionals and community caregivers. REPORTING METHOD: This study adhered to the STROBE checklist for observational studies. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution.