[Prevalence of urinary incontinence in the population aged more than 64 years in Galicia, Spain]. / Prevalencia de la incontinencia urinaria en personas mayores de 64 años en Galicia.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of urinary incontinence in the Galician population aged more than 64 years. METHODS: We performed a descriptive study, based on a personal interview with each individual from a sample of the target population. The sample was obtained through random sampling stratified into urban, semi-urban and rural of the Autonomous Community of Galicia. Subsequently, a random sample was extracted from the database of the individual health cards of selected localities. A total of 350 interviews in 12 sampling locations were performed. RESULTS: The prevalence of urinary incontinence in Galicia in 2002 was 35.14% (95% CI: 31-38%, 15-28 for men and 38-51% for women). CONCLUSIONS: One out of three Galicians aged more than 64 years presents urinary incontinence. The prevalence is almost double in women.