How common is urinary incontinence?

It is estimated that about 13 million Americans, and between 10% and 35% of all adults, have some form of urinary incontinence. Incontinence occurs twice as often in women as in men, but both men and women of all races are increasingly likely to develop incontinence as they get older.¹

About half of people who live in nursing homes or other long-term care facilities have incontinence.²
Up to 1 out of 5 older men and 1 out of 3 older women have incontinence.³

References

Citations

Nitti VW, Blaivas JG (2007). Urinary incontinence: Epidemiology, pathophysiology, evaluation, and management overview. In AJ Wein et al., eds., Campbell-Walsh Urology, 9th ed., vol. 3, pp. 2046–2078. Philadelphia: Saunders Elsevier.

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (2005, reaffirmed 2007). Urinary incontinence in women. ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 63. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 105(6): 1533–1545.

Ouslander JG (2008). Urinary incontinence. In L Goldman, D Ausiello, eds., Cecil Medicine, 23rd ed., pp. 125–128. Philadelphia: Saunders Elsevier.

Credits

Author	Sandy Jocoy, RN
Editor	Kathleen M. Ariss, MS
Associate Editor	Pat Truman, MATC
Primary Medical Reviewer	E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine
Specialist Medical Reviewer	Avery L. Seifert, MD - Urology
Last Updated	September 17, 2008