Prevalence of urinary incontinence in Andorra: impact on women's health.

BACKGROUND: Urinary incontinence (UI) is a frequent public health problem with negative social consequences, particularly for women. Female susceptibility is the result of anatomical, social, economic and cultural factors. The main objectives of this study are to evaluate the prevalence of UI in the female population of Andorra over the age of 15 and, specifically, to determine the influence of socio-demographic factors. A secondary aim of the study is to measure the degree of concern associated with UI and whether the involved subjects have asked for medical assistance, or not. METHODS: Women aged 15 and over, answered a self-administered questionnaire while attending professional health units in Andorra during the period November 1998 to January 2000. A preliminary study was carried out to ensure that the questionnaire was both understandable and simple. RESULTS: 863 completed questionnaires were obtained during a one year period. The breakdown of the places where the questionnaires were obtained and filled out is as follows: 32.4% – medical specialists' offices; 31.5% – outpatient centres served exclusively by nurses; 24% – primary care doctors' offices; 12% from other sources. Of the women who answered the questionnaire, 37% manifested urine losses. Of those,45.3% presented regular urinary incontinence (RUI) and 55.7% presented sporadic urinary incontinence (SporadicUI). In those women aged between 45 and 64, UI was present in 56% of the subjects. UI was more frequent among parous than non-parous women. UI was perceived as a far more bothersome and disabling condition by working, middle-class women than in other socio-economic groups. Women in this particular group are more limited by UI, less likely to seek medical advice but more likely to follow a course of treatment. From a general point of view, however, less than 50% of women suffering from UI sought medical advice. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of UI in the female population of Andorra stands at about 37%, a statistic which should encourage both health professionals and women to a far greater awareness of this condition

Desenvolvimento de um sistema especialista para identificação de diagnósticos de enfermagem relacionados com a eliminação urinária Desarrollo de un sistema especialista para identificación de diagnosticos de enfermería relacionados con la eliminación urinaria Development of an expert system for identification of nursing diagnosis related to urinary elimination

O estudo envolveu a avaliação do sistema ALTURIN.EXP e seu aprimoramento que culminou na construção e avaliação de um novo sistema, denominado ALTURIN.SDD. No presente trabalho são descritas as etapas de avaliação do sistema ALTURIN.EXP e de desenvolvimento do sistema ALTURIN.SDD. O sistema ALTURIN.SDD foi desenvolvido utilizando-se um programa "shell" especialmente construído para este projeto, o Programa para Determinação de Diagnósticos (SDD, Versão 1.0), tendo como alvo plataformas Windows 95/98/Me. Os diagnósticos de enfermagem são aqueles presentes na classificação da NANDA 2001-2002. Esta experiência de desenvolvimento poderá ser aplicada na criação de outros sistemas especialistas.<br>El estudio involucró la evaluación del sistema ALTURIN.EXP y su aprimoramiento que culminó con la construcción y evaluación de un nuevo sistema, denominado ALTURIN.SDD. En el presente trabajo se describen las etapas de evaluación del sistema ALTURIN.EXP y de desarrollo del sistema ALTURIN.SDD. El sistema ALTURIN.SDD fue desarrollado utilizándose un programa "shell" especialmente construido para este proyecto, el Programa para Determinación de Diagnósticos (SDD, Versión 1.0), teniendo como objetivo plataformas Windows 95/98/Me. Los diagnósticos de enfermería son aquellos presentes en la clasificación de la NANDA 2001-2002. Esta experiencia de desarrollo podrá ser aplicada en la creación de otros sistemas especialistas.<br>The study involved an evaluation of the ALTURIN.EXP system and its improvement that culminated in the establishment and evaluation of a new system named ALTURIN.SDD. In the present work the evaluation phases of the ALTURIN.EXP and development of the ALTURIN.SDD systems are described. The ALTURIN.SDD system was developed by utilizing a "shell" program specially built for this project, the Program for Diagnose Determination (SDD, 1.0 Version), which had as a target Windows 95/98/Me platforms. The nursing diagnoses are those present in the NANDA 2001-2002 classification. This development experience shall be applied in the development of other specialized systems