Childhood Stress Urinary Incontinence in High-Impact Gymnasts: Does it Affect Their Future Risk of Adult Stress Urinary Incontinence?
摘要
Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is common among high-impact athletes and can be experienced with high-impact activity during childhood. We sought to identify whether leakage experienced during gymnastics training before age 18 impacts future SUI.
MethodsAn observational cohort study was performed. Current and former competitive gymnasts 18 years or older were queried by a survey disseminated via Facebook starting 1 September through November 2024. The survey was composed of a nonvalidated portion that inquired regarding the conditions under which participants experienced incontinence before and after age 18. The validated Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI-6) assessed current voiding symptoms. Chi-squared evaluated significance between childhood and adult SUI. Univariate and multivariate linear regression identified patient characteristics associated with increasing UDI-6 scores.
ResultsA total of 146 people responded to the survey, with 126 complete responses. Participants ranged from 18 to 65 years of age. Among the 64 (50.8%) who experienced SUI with gymnastics under 18 years, 54 (84.4%) experienced SUI as adults. In contrast, 32 (51.6%) of participants who did not experience SUI under 18 years experienced SUI as adults (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that SUI with gymnastics training under age 18 was associated with increasing weighted UDI-6 scaled score (p < 0.04), particularly in the stress domain (p < 0.001). BMI was also associated with increasing UDI-6 scaled score (p = 0.02).
ConclusionsHigh-impact athletes who experience SUI with training under age 18 are more likely to experience SUI as adults. Earlier recognition of SUI during high-impact activities could ultimately improve patients’ long-term quality of life.