Fecal incontinence epidemiology and help seeking among older people in Taiwan.

AIMS: This study assesses the prevalence, comorbidity, and risk factors of fecal incontinence (FI), and explores help seeking patterns among older FI people. METHODS: The data were obtained from the 2005 National Health Interview Survey, in which 1,345 men and 1,370 women aged above 65 years responded to questions concerning FI occurrence, and 218 FI-affected elderly people responded to the question about FI help seeking. The chi-square test, Student's t-test, and multiple logistic regression were used. RESULTS: The weighted FI prevalence of older Taiwanese people was 6.9% for men and 9.3% for women. Urinary incontinence, diabetes mellitus, dementia, and asthma significantly increased the risk of FI among old men, but being overweight appeared to be FI-protective (OR 0.37, 95% CI = 0.17-0.80). In women, urinary incontinence, stroke, transit ischemia attack, dementia, chronic hepatitis, being underweight (BMI < 18.5), and greater parity were significant FI risk factors. Of those with FI, 49.1% had sought medical help. Using Andersen's model, data analysis showed that living in an urban area (OR 2.36, CI = 1.19-4.68), mucous stool incontinence (OR 3.56, 95% CI = 1.35-8.32), and one or more of the following FI-related problems, namely, anxiety, families interaction, social life, work life, and sexual life, significantly predicted FI sufferers seeking medical attention. CONCLUSION: Self-reported FI is a prevalent condition with various etiologies among older people in Taiwan. Understanding the epidemiology and comorbidity of FI, and investigating the factors associated with help seeking, is beneficial in devising and implementing prevention and management strategies.

The epidemiology of urinary incontinence and it's influence on quality of life in Taiwanese middle-aged women.

AIM: To evaluate the prevalence and risk factors of urinary incontinence (UI) and its effects on quality of life in women aged between 35 and 64 years. METHODS: Data were obtained from the 2005 National Health Interview survey, in which 4,661 women aged between 35 and 64 years responded to questions concerning UI occurrence and health-related quality of life (HRQL), assessed using the Short Form 36, Taiwan version. Chi-square tests and multiple logistic regressions were applied to analyze comorbidity and risk factors of UI. Multivariable liner regression was used to evaluate the association between UI and HRQL. RESULTS: The weighted UI prevalence in Taiwanese women aged 35-44, 45-54 years, and 55-64 years were 14.7%, 24.7%, and 32.4%, respectively. After adjustment, increased age, greater parity, higher BMI (body mass index), former HRT use, having a psychiatric disease, hyperlipidemia, and respiratory disease were identified as significant UI risk factors. Women with UI had significantly lower scores on all SF-36 dimensions. After adjusting for other factors, UI remained a significant predictor of all domains of SF-36 and was associated with reduced physical (by 2.31 points) and mental (by 2.76 points) component summary scores. From a mental health perspective, UI had a greater influence on HRQL than diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and chronic kidney disease. CONCLUSION: The UI prevalence of Taiwanese women is high, and its negative effects on quality of life are greater than those of other major chronic conditions, but are often overlooked and seldom intervened.

High prevalence and low awareness of CKD in Taiwan: a study on the relationship between serum creatinine and awareness from a nationally representative survey.

BACKGROUND: The burden of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global challenge. Empirical evidence of low CKD awareness rates in developed countries speaks for an urgent need to strengthen strategies for CKD identification and prevention. The aim of this study is to estimate the awareness rate of CKD in Taiwan to promote early detection of CKD in this country. METHODS: Data from a nationally representative survey were used for analysis. The study included 6,001 subjects. The simplified Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation was used to define glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and CKD stages according to criteria of the US National Kidney Foundation. Descriptive methods were used to analyze data. RESULTS: The prevalence of CKD stages 3 to 5 in Taiwan is 6.9% (95% confidence interval, 4.4 to 9.4). Awareness rates for CKD in Taiwan are low: 8.0% for individuals with stage 3, 25.0% for those with stage 4, and 71.4% for those with stage 5. Awareness rate is related closely to serum creatinine level: those with creatinine levels greater than 1.6 mg/dL (>141 micromol/L) are more likely to be informed of having a kidney disease. CONCLUSION: The high prevalence and low awareness of CKD in Taiwan explicitly show the need to advocate more strongly for CKD prevention and education for both physicians and the populace. Establishment of a mandated automatic GFR reporting system may be the first priority we need to accomplish in Taiwan to improve kidney well-being.