Anxiety and depression associated with incontinence in middle-aged women: a large Norwegian cross-sectional study

Several studies have indicated depression and anxiety to be associated with urinary incontinence (UI), however, the strength of the associations varies widely. The objective of this study was to determine these associations in a large survey. In a cross-sectional population-based survey study, we analysed questionnaire data on UI, depression and anxiety from 5,321 women between 40 and 44 years. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to predict the odds of having high levels of anxiety and depression among women with UI of different types and severities. Among women with UI, the adjusted OR for depression was 1.64 (95% CI, 1.32-2.04) and for anxiety 1.59 (95% CI, 1.36-1.86) compared with women without UI. UI was associated with both anxiety and depression in middle-aged women, with the strongest associations for mixed and urgency UI.