Body composition does not interfere with urinary incontinence in adult women with grade III obesity.

Objective. To investigate the body composition of adult woman affected by grade III obesity with and without urinary incontinence. Methods. We evaluated women with grade III obesity from the bariatric surgery preparation outpatient service of a University Hospital. In addition to clinical data collection, abdominal circumference measurement, and body composition evaluation by tetrapolar bioelectrical impedance testing were performed. The International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire – Short Form (ICIQ –SF) was used to evaluate the presence of urinary incontinence in the patients. A subgroup analysis was conducted, comparing means between the groups: with urinary incontinence (UI) x without urinary incontinence (WUI); and Control X UI. The control group comprised women with normal BMI and no urinary incontinence. Results. Fifty-six women with grade III obesity were evaluated. The mean age of the sample was 37(±8.2) years, and the BMI was 43.9 (±7.5). The body composition variables of the group with grade III participants showed significant differences compared to the control group. No statistically significant differences were observed between the UI and WUI subgroups for the outcomes assessed by tetrapolar bioelectrical impedance. Conclusion. A high prevalence of urinary incontinence was observed even though the sample comprised young adult women. No statistically significant differences were observed in comparing body composition between woman affected by grade III obesity with and without urinary incontinence. Body composition, when evaluated independently of other aspects, does not seem to influence the occurrence of urinary incontinence in women with grade III obesity.