A survey of urinary incontinence and health literacy among female rehabilitation professional therapists.
Risa Hamada, Akira Kubo, Miyoko Watanabe
PMID 40511307WHAT IT FOUND
Nearly half of the 73 female rehabilitation therapists surveyed reported urinary incontinence.
Symptoms were linked to childbirth and work tasks like lifting, not low health literacy. Therapists should screen colleagues and advocate for better restroom access.
Key findings
0149.3% of female rehabilitation professionals reported urinary incontinence symptoms, with abdominal pressure incontinence being the most common type.
02The group with incontinence was older, had more births, and higher rates of vaginal delivery and perineal incision than the group without.
03Health literacy scores did not significantly differ between therapists with and without urinary incontinence.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The sample size was small (73 participants), which limited the ability to analyze subgroups or draw broad conclusions. The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot prove that work tasks or childbirth caused the incontinence, only that they are associated. Participants were recruited from general hospitals in Japan, which may limit generalizability to other countries or clinical settings. The survey relied on self-report, which may be subject to recall bias or underreporting due to the sensitive nature of urinary incontinence. The study did not collect detailed information about specific job descriptions or physical demands, so it cannot pinpoint which exact tasks contribute most to risk.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that rehabilitation professionals are protected from urinary incontinence because of their health literacy or knowledge. This study found that nearly half of the surveyed therapists had symptoms, and their health literacy scores were no different from those without symptoms. Professional knowledge did not prevent the condition.