Final-Year Medical Students’ Opinions Concerning the Stages of Life and Age of Women that are Predisposed to Stress Urinary Incontinence

Urinary incontinence is an embarrassing problem and is probably one of the last taboos in contemporary medicine. It is currently one of the most common chronic female diseases and constitutes a serious health problem in modern society. Stress urinary incontinence occurs when an increase in intra-abdominal pressure associated with coughing, sneezing, laughing, running, a rapid change in body position, or hard physical work is accompanied by involuntary urinary leakage. This is a widespread medical problem that has a real influence on the daily lives of millions of women around the world. It isolates them from society and prevents normal functioning, adversely affecting work, relaxation, relationships, and self-confidence; it also affects the psyche, leading to lower self-esteem, neurosis, and depression. The aim of the study was to evaluate the knowledge of students graduating from medical faculties regarding the stages of life, the age, and the percentage of women in Poland predisposed to stress urinary incontinence. The research included 1,581 participants who were students in their final year of medical studies at several universities. Research was conducted by means of the author’s questionnaire. In all groups, the highest percentage of ‘age’ indications, particularly the age at which women are predisposed to experiencing the symptoms of stress urinary incontinence, ranged from 41% to 50%. Among the indications for the ‘life stage’, the vast majority of respondents stated that the menopausal period increased the likelihood of urinary incontinence. 92.5% of the respondents were from a group of physicians, 91% from a group of nurses and midwives, 85.7% from a group of physiotherapists, and 79.3% were from other medical faculties. Conclusion. Students graduating from medical faculties possess good knowledge about the stages of life, the age, and the percentage of women in Poland predisposed to stress urinary incontinence. They know which group of women might be affected by this problem and they are aware that there is a substantial likelihood that they will be engaged in conversations with their patients regarding this embarrassing problem