Faecal incontinence common in community
14 June 2011
Faecal incontinence may affect up to one in 5 adult women in the community, according to Australian research.
Women who have had children were not at greater risk of having the condition, the researchers from Monash University reported in the journal Menopause (2011; 18: 685-9).
The highest proportion of any faecal incontinence occurred in women who had 4 or more children, but 20 per cent of those who had not given birth reported the condition, they said.
Among the data from 442 women of all ages, recruited from a research database established from the Victorian electoral roll, the overall prevalence of faecal incontinence was 21 per cent. The prevalence increased with age up to 75 years.
Women with loose faecal incontinence were also more likely to have urinary incontinence, independent of their age and BMI (body mass index).
However, the researchers cautioned that the prevalence of faecal incontinence in this study may have been overestimated due to selection bias, as the sample comprised women who had expressed interest in participating in a study of urinary incontinence.
Last Reviewed: 15 June 2011
- 1. Botlero R, Bell RJ, Urquhart DM, Davis SR. Prevalence of fecal incontinence and its relationship with urinary incontinence in women living in the community. Menopause 2011; 18: 685-9. doi: 10.1097/gme.0b013e3181fee03b. http://journals.lww.com/menopausejournal/Abstract/2011/06000/Prevalence_of_fecal_incontinence_and_its.16.aspx (accessed Jun 2011).
