Complementary and Conventional Health-care Utilization Among Young Australian Women With Urinary Incontinence

Frawley, J; Sibbritt, D; Steel, A; Chang, S; Adams, J

Complementary and Conventional Health-care Utilization Among Young Australian Women With Urinary Incontinence

Frawley, J

Sibbritt, D

Steel, A

Chang, S

Adams, J

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Urology, 2017, 99 pp. 92 - 99
Issue Date:: 2017-01-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Frawley, J https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6037-0140	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Sibbritt, D https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3561-9447	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Steel, A https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6643-9444	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Chang, S https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0723-3192	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Adams, J https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9901-5717	en_US
dc.date.available	2016-07-12	en_US
dc.date.issued	2017-01-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Urology, 2017, 99 pp. 92 - 99	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	0090-4295	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/113592
dc.description.abstract	© 2016 Elsevier Inc. Objective To examine the relationship between health status and health service utilization (including conventional and complementary and alternative medicine [CAM]) accessed by women experiencing urinary incontinence (UI). Although a high number of younger women report symptoms of UI, such as leaking urine, only a small proportion seek help for these symptoms. Materials and Methods The Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health is a large nationally representative study that investigates the health and well-being of women. The 2 most recent surveys (2006 and 2009) of the young cohort (women aged 28-33 and 31-36 respectively) were analyzed. Results The presence of UI was 8.5% in 2006 (n = 859) and 23.3% in 2009 (n = 1878), whereas the percentage of women who sought help for their UI was 18.6% (n = 160) and 2.2% (n = 182) respectively. Women with UI had poorer health compared with women without UI (P < .005), and women who sought help for their symptoms had poorer physical functioning than women who did not (P < .005). Women who sought help were greater users of conventional and CAM health services (P < .005), including a general practitioner, specialist, hospital doctor, physiotherapist, and naturopath. Conclusion UI is relatively common in younger women. However, many do not seek help. Of the women who do seek care, a large number visit CAM professionals as well as conventional medical professionals, despite a lack of research evaluating the efficacy of CAM treatment. Research is needed to explore CAM practitioner approaches to the treatment of UI and to evaluate the efficacy of these treatments.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Urology	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1016/j.urology.2016.07.060	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Urology & Nephrology	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Humans	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Urinary Incontinence	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Complementary Therapies	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Health Care Surveys	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Retrospective Studies	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Longitudinal Studies	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Urology	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Adult	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Women's Health	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Patient Acceptance of Health Care	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Australia	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Female	en_US
dc.title	Complementary and Conventional Health-care Utilization Among Young Australian Women With Urinary Incontinence	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	99	en_US
utslib.for	1103 Clinical Sciences	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CHSP - Health Services and Practice
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	99	en_US

Abstract:

© 2016 Elsevier Inc. Objective To examine the relationship between health status and health service utilization (including conventional and complementary and alternative medicine [CAM]) accessed by women experiencing urinary incontinence (UI). Although a high number of younger women report symptoms of UI, such as leaking urine, only a small proportion seek help for these symptoms. Materials and Methods The Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health is a large nationally representative study that investigates the health and well-being of women. The 2 most recent surveys (2006 and 2009) of the young cohort (women aged 28-33 and 31-36 respectively) were analyzed. Results The presence of UI was 8.5% in 2006 (n = 859) and 23.3% in 2009 (n = 1878), whereas the percentage of women who sought help for their UI was 18.6% (n = 160) and 2.2% (n = 182) respectively. Women with UI had poorer health compared with women without UI (P < .005), and women who sought help for their symptoms had poorer physical functioning than women who did not (P < .005). Women who sought help were greater users of conventional and CAM health services (P < .005), including a general practitioner, specialist, hospital doctor, physiotherapist, and naturopath. Conclusion UI is relatively common in younger women. However, many do not seek help. Of the women who do seek care, a large number visit CAM professionals as well as conventional medical professionals, despite a lack of research evaluating the efficacy of CAM treatment. Research is needed to explore CAM practitioner approaches to the treatment of UI and to evaluate the efficacy of these treatments.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/113592