Research Progress on the Prevalence and Influencing Factors of Help-seeking Behavior in Elderly People with Urinary Incontinence in China

Abstract

Background: Urinary incontinence (UI) is a prevalent geriatric syndrome with a high burden among the elderly, yet help-seeking behavior remains critically low. This review synthesizes research progress on the prevalence and factors influencing help-seeking behavior in elderly Chinese individuals with UI. Methods: A narrative review was conducted using databases such as PubMed, CNKI, and Wanfang Data up to 2024. Keywords included “urinary incontinence,” “elderly,” “help-seeking behavior,” “influencing factors,” and “China.” Studies focusing on the prevalence, help-seeking rates, and associated factors among community-dwelling or hospitalized elderly (≥60 years) with UI were included. Key Findings: The prevalence of UI among elderly women in China ranges from 30% to 60%, but help-seeking rates are alarmingly low, varying from 4.8% to 25.0%. Six major categories of influencing factors were identified: (1) symptom severity, (2) passive self-management strategies (e.g., avoidance, using pads), (3) social support (especially from family), (4) low cognitive level and misconceptions about UI as a normal aging process, (5) poor accessibility of healthcare resources, and (6) culturally-rooted stigma and shame. Conclusion: The low rate of help-seeking for UI among the elderly in China is a multifactorial problem driven by individual, social, and healthcare system barriers. Future research should focus on developing and testing multi-level interventions, employing more qualitative methodologies to understand stigma, and integrating UI management into primary care and healthy aging programs.