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Abstract #153868

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Yue Li, PhD, MS, Department of Medicine, SUNY at Buffalo, ECMC, Clinical Center CC-163, 462 Grider Street, Buffalo, NY 14215, 716-898-5175, yueli@buffalo.edu, Xueya Cai, MA, Department of Biostatistics, SUNY at Buffalo, 264 Farber Hall, Buffalo, NY 14214, Laurent Glance, MD, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Rochester Medical Center, 601 Elmwood Ave., Box 604, Rochester, NY 14642, and Dana B. Mukamel, PhD, Department of Medicine, Center for Health Policy Research, University of California, Irvine, 111 Academy, Suite 220, Irvine, CA 92697.

Urinary incontinence (UI) afflicts 17% to 55% community-dwelling older women. Although simple and effective treatments are available, many incontinent women do not seek professional treatment. Possible barriers to their help seeking include embarrassment and lack of knowledge and access to care. This study aims to examine how socioeconomic status – measured by education level and annual household income – can affect (1) UI care seeking behaviors and (2) receipt of UI treatment in a national cohort of non-institutionalized, older women with self-reported UI problem. The data were obtained from 2003 and 2004 Medicare Health Outcomes Survey. Multivariate logistic regression models were estimated on (1) all patients with UI problem (n=20727), to determine the independent impact of socioeconomic measures on the likelihood of discussing the UI problem with a health care practitioner; and on (2) patients with UI and having had such an consultation (n=9565), to determine the independent impact of socioeconomic measures on the likelihood of receiving UI treatment. Forty-six percent incontinent women sought professional help in the past 6 months, among whom 55% received a treatment. Compared to those with education<12 years, those with 16+ years education were more likely to discuss the UI problem with their healthcare provider (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=1.29, p=0.000), and subsequently, to receive a treatment (AOR=1.35, p=0.000). Compared to patients with income<20k, patients with income>80k were more likely to receive UI treatment (AOR=1.51, p=0.018). These results suggest the need of targeted interventions to promote access to appropriate UI care among older women of low socioeconomic status.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe healthcare seeking behaviors for urinary incontinence among community-dwelling older women.
• Discuss how socioeconomic factors may affect their help seeking and receivng treatment.

Keywords: Women's Health, Access to Care

Awards: Aetna Susan B. Anthony Award for Excellence in Research on Older Women and Public Health - Recipient

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

• Audio (mp3) recording
• Slides (pdf) or Handout
• Multimedia recording