Prevalence of urinary incontinence in pregnant women in Turkey: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background and objective: Urinary incontinence is a common complaint in pregnant women. The prevalence of urinary incontinence increases as the week of gestation progresses. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of urinary incontinence in pregnant women, types of urinary incontinence during pregnancy, and the prevalence of urinary incontinence by trimesters in Turkey.Study desing: This study is a systematic review and meta-analysis study. The publications meeting the inclusion criteria were searched between the dates September 1-30, 2022. A search was done in the PubMed and ScienceDirect, MEDLINE, Ovid, EBSCO CINAHL Plus, and Cochrane Library databases. The methodological quality of the studies was examined with the checklist developed by the Joanna Briggs Institute.Results: Twenty articles were included in this study. According to the study results, the estimated urinary incontinence prevalence in pregnant women was 35 % (95 % CI: 0.288-0.423 Z:-3.984, p = 0.000, I2: 96.574), urinary incontinence was most frequently observed in the third trimester, and its estimated prevalence was 32 % (95 % CI:0.230-0.419 Z:-3.428, p = 0.001, I2: 96.400). Considering types of urinary incontinence during pregnancy, the prevalence of stress urinary incontinence was found in 10 studies, and according to the combined results of these studies, the estimated prevalence of stress urinary incontinence during pregnancy was 29 % (95 % CI:0.223-0.365, Z:-5.077, p = 0.000, I2: 94.678).Conclusion: The present study revealed that pregnancy increased the probability of urinary incontinence. While it is determined to be mostly experienced in the third trimester, approximately-one-third of pregnant women experience stress urinary incontinence. PROSPERO Registration no: CRD42022338643.