Samuel F. Posner

Prevalence of urinary incontinence and associated risk factors in postmenopausal women

Abstract Objective: To determine the prevalence of stress, urge, and mixed urinary incontinence and associated risk factors in postmenopausal women. Methods: Before enrollment in a 4-year, randomized trial of combination hormone therapy to prevent coronary heart disease, 2763 participants completed questionnaires on prevalence and type of incontinence. We measured factors potentially associated with incontinence including demographics, reproductive and medical histories, height, weight, and waist-to-hip circumference ratio. We used multivariate logistic models to determine independent associations between those factors and weekly incontinence by type. Results: The mean (± standard deviation [SD]) age of the participants was 67 ± 7 years; 89% were white and 8% were black. Fifty-six percent reported weekly incontinence. In multivariate analyses, the prevalence of weekly stress incontinence was higher in white than black women (odds ratio [OR] 2.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.6, 5.1), in women with higher body-mass index (BMI) (OR 1.1 per 5 units, 95% CI 1.0, 1.3), and higher waist-to-hip ratio (OR 1.2 per 0.1 unit, 95% CI 1.0, 1.4). The prevalence of weekly urge incontinence was higher in older women (OR 1.2 per 5 years, 95% CI 1.1, 1.3), diabetic women (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1, 2.0) and women who had reported two or more urinary tract infections in the prior year (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.1, 3.6). Conclusion: Stress and urge incontinence are common in postmenopausal women and have different risk factors, suggesting that approaches to risk-factor modification and prevention also might differ and should be specific to types of incontinence.

Defining and measuring chronic conditions: imperatives for research, policy, program, and practice.

Current trends in US population growth, age distribution, and disease dynamics foretell rises in the prevalence of chronic diseases and other chronic conditions. These trends include the rapidly growing population of older adults, the increasing life expectancy associated with advances in public health and clinical medicine, the persistently high prevalence of some risk factors, and the emerging high prevalence of multiple chronic conditions. Although preventing and mitigating the effect of chronic conditions requires sufficient measurement capacities, such measurement has been constrained by lack of consistency in definitions and diagnostic classification schemes and by heterogeneity in data systems and methods of data collection. We outline a conceptual model for improving understanding of and standardizing approaches to defining, identifying, and using information about chronic conditions in the United States. We illustrate this model’s operation by applying a standard classification scheme for chronic conditions to 5 national-level data systems.

Misclassification rates for current smokers misclassified as nonsmokers.

OBJECTIVES This paper provides misclassification rates for current cigarette smokers who report themselves as nonsmokers. Such rates are important in determining smoker misclassification bias in the estimation of relative risks in passive smoking studies. METHODS True smoking status, either occasional or regular, was determined for individual current smokers in 3 existing studies of nonsmokers by inspecting the cotinine levels of body fluids. The new data, combined with an approximately equal amount in the 1992 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report on passive smoking and lung cancer, yielded misclassification rates that not only had lower standard errors but also were stratified by sex and US minority majority status. RESULTS The misclassification rates for the important category of female smokers misclassified as never smokers were, respectively, 0.8%, 6.0%, 2.8%, and 15.3% for majority regular, majority occasional, US minority regular, and US minority occasional smokers. Misclassification rates for males were mostly somewhat higher. CONCLUSIONS The new information supports EPAs conclusion that smoker misclassification bias is small. Also, investigators are advised to pay attention to minority/majority status of cohorts when correcting for smoker misclassification bias.

Hospitalizations With Respiratory Illness Among Pregnant Women During Influenza Season

OBJECTIVE: To examine hospitalizations with respiratory illness among pregnant women in the United States during periods of influenza activity. METHODS: Data were obtained from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project National Inpatient Sample (NIS), the largest publicly available all-payer hospital discharge database. Hospitalizations for respiratory illness and pregnancy were classified with International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification codes. Analyses were stratified by delivery status. Discharge characteristics, length of stay, and complications of delivery among hospitalized pregnant women with and those without respiratory illness were compared. RESULTS: During the 1998–2002 influenza seasons, 3.4 per 1,000 hospitalizations of pregnant women included diagnoses of respiratory illness. Characteristics of pregnancy hospitalizations associated with higher odds of respiratory illness were presence of a high-risk condition for which influenza vaccination is recommended (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.0–3.5 and OR 6.0, 95% CI 5.2–6.9 for nondelivery and delivery, respectively), Medicaid/Medicare as primary expected payer of care (OR 1.2, 95% CI 1.1–1.3 and OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.7–2.2 for nondelivery and delivery, respectively), and hospitalization in a rural area (OR 1.2, 95% CI 1.1–1.4 for nondelivery). During influenza season, hospitalized pregnant women with respiratory illness had significantly longer lengths of stay and higher odds of delivery complications than hospitalized pregnant women without respiratory illness. CONCLUSION: Hospitalizations with respiratory illness among pregnant women during influenza season are associated with increased burden for patients and the health care system. Intervention efforts to decrease influenza-related respiratory morbidity among pregnant women should be encouraged. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III

Diabetes Trends Among Delivery Hospitalizations in the U.S., 1994–2004

OBJECTIVE To examine trends in the prevalence of diabetes among delivery hospitalizations in the U.S. and to describe the characteristics of these hospitalizations. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Hospital discharge data from 1994 through 2004 were obtained from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Diagnosis codes were selected for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and unspecified diabetes. Rates of delivery hospitalization with diabetes were calculated per 100 deliveries. RESULTS Overall, an estimated 1,863,746 hospital delivery discharges contained a diabetes diagnosis, corresponding to a rate of 4.3 per 100 deliveries over the 11-year period. GDM accounted for the largest proportion of delivery hospitalizations with diabetes (84.7%), followed by type 1 (7%), type 2 (4.7%), and unspecified diabetes (3.6%). From 1994 to 2004, the rates for all diabetes, GDM, type 1 diabetes, and type 2 diabetes significantly increased overall and within each age-group (15–24, 25–34, and ≥35 years) (P < 0.05). The largest percent increase for all ages was among type 2 diabetes (367%). By age-group, the greatest percent increases for each diabetes type were among the two younger groups. Significant predictors of diabetes at delivery included age ≥35 years vs. 15–24 years (odds ratio 4.80 [95% CI 4.72–4.89]), urban versus rural location (1.14 [1.11–1.17]), and Medicaid/Medicare versus other payment sources (1.29 [1.26–1.32]). CONCLUSIONS Given the increasing prevalence of diabetes among delivery hospitalizations, particularly among younger women, it will be important to monitor trends in the pregnant population and target strategies to minimize risk for maternal/fetal complications.

Severe obstetric morbidity in the United States: 1998-2005.

OBJECTIVE: To examine trends in the rates of severe obstetric complications and the potential contribution of changes in delivery mode and maternal characteristics to these trends. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study of severe obstetric complications identified from the 1998–2005 Nationwide Inpatient Sample of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project. Logistic regression was used to examine the effect of changes in delivery mode and maternal characteristics on rates of severe obstetric complications. RESULTS: The prevalence of delivery hospitalizations (per 1,000) complicated by at least one severe obstetric complication increased from 0.64% (n=48,645) in 1998–1999 to 0.81% (n=68,433) in 2004–2005. Rates of complications that increased significantly during the study period included renal failure by 21% (from 0.23 to 0.28), pulmonary embolism by 52% (0.12 to 0.18), adult respiratory distress syndrome by 26% (0.36 to 0.45), shock by 24% (0.15 to 0.19), blood transfusion by 92% (2.38 to 4.58), and ventilation by 21 % (0.47 to 0.57). In logistic regression models, adjustment for maternal age had no effect on the increased risk for these complications in 2004–2005 relative to 1998–1999. However, after adjustment for mode of delivery, the increased risks for these complications in 2004–2005 relative to 1998–1999 were no longer significant, with the exception of pulmonary embolism (odds ratio 1.30) and blood transfusion (odds ratio 1.72). Further adjustment for payer, multiple births, and select comorbidities had little effect. CONCLUSION: Rates of severe obstetric complications increased from 1998–1999 to 2004–2005. For many of these complications, these increases were associated with the increasing rate of cesarean delivery. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III

Racial differences in timeliness of follow-up after abnormal screening mammography

To determine whether patient race was associated with timeliness of follow‐up after abnormal screening mammography, a retrospective record review of diagnostic tests for women with abnormal screening mammography from a Northern California mobile van program was conducted.

Mood management mail intervention increases abstinence rates for Spanish-speaking Latino smokers.

A self-administered mood management intervention program for smoking cessation provided through the mail to Spanish-speaking Latinos resulted in a 23% abstinence rate at 3 months compared to an 11% abstinence rate for a smoking cessation guide alone. Participants (N = 136) were randomly assigned to receive either the cessation guide (the Guía), or the Guía plus a mood management intervention (Tomando Control de su Vida) presented in writing and in audiotape format. At 3 months after random assignment, 16 out of 71 of those assigned to the Guía-plus-mood management condition reported being abstinent (not smoking for at least 7 days) compared to 7 out of 65 in the Guía-only condition (z = 1.8; p = .04, one-tailed). Moreover, those with a history of major depressive episodes, but not currently depressed, reported an even higher abstinence rate in the Guía-plus-mood management condition, compared to the Guía-only condition (31 vs. 11%, z = 1.8, p = .04, one-tailed). We conclude that the mood management mail intervention substantially increases abstinence rates, especially for those with a history of major depressive episodes.

Incidence and determinants of peripartum hysterectomy.

OBJECTIVE: Most studies of peripartum hysterectomy are conducted in single institutions, limiting the ability to provide national incidence estimates and examine risk factors. The objective of this study was to provide a national estimate of the incidence of peripartum hysterectomy and to examine factors associated with the procedure. METHODS: We used data for 1998–2003 from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Nationwide Inpatient Sample, an annual nationally representative survey of inpatient hospitalizations. Peripartum hysterectomy was defined as a hysterectomy and delivery occurring during the same hospitalization. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were adjusted for maternal and hospital characteristics using logistic regression. RESULTS: During 1998–2003, an estimated 18,339 peripartum hysterectomies occurred in the United States (0.77 per 1,000 deliveries). Compared with vaginal delivery without a previous cesarean delivery, the ORs of peripartum hysterectomy for other delivery types were as follows: repeat cesarean, 8.90 (95% CI 8.09–9.79); primary cesarean, 6.54 (95% CI 5.95–7.18); and vaginal birth after cesarean, 2.70 (95% CI 2.23–3.26). Multiple births were associated with an increased risk compared with singleton births (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.16–1.71). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that vaginal birth after cesarean, primary and repeat cesarean deliveries, and multiple births are independently associated with an increased risk for peripartum hysterectomy. These findings may be of concern, given the increasing rate of both cesarean deliveries and multiple births in the United States. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III

The effect of behavioral therapy on urinary incontinence: a randomized controlled trial

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effect of a low‐intensity behavioral therapy program on urinary incontinence in older women. METHODS A randomized clinical trial for community‐dwelling women at least 55 years reporting at least one urinary incontinent episode per week was conducted. Women were randomly assigned to a behavioral therapy group (n = 77) or a control group (n = 75). The treatment group had six weekly instructional sessions on bladder training and followed individualized voiding schedules. The control group received no instruction but kept urinary diaries for 6 weeks. After this period, the control group underwent the behavioral therapy protocol. Using per‐protocol analyses, t and χ2 tests were used to compare the treatment and control groups, and paired t tests were used to evaluate the efficacy of behavioral therapy for all women (treatment and control groups before and after behavioral therapy). RESULTS Women in the treatment group experienced a 50% reduction in mean number of incontinent episodes recorded on a 7‐day urinary diary compared with a 15% reduction for controls (P = .001). After behavioral therapy, all women had a 40% decrease in mean weekly incontinent episodes (P = .001), which was maintained over 6 months (P < .004). Thirty (31%) women were 100% improved (dry), 40 (41%) were at least 75% improved, and 50 (52%) at least 50% improved. There were no differences in treatment efficacy by type of incontinence (stress, urge, mixed) or group assignment (treatment, control). CONCLUSION A low‐intensity behavioral therapy intervention for urinary incontinence was effective and should be considered as a first‐line treatment for urinary incontinence in older women.