Distress Associated with Urinary Incontinence, as Measured by a Visual Analogue Scale

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Abstract
Objectives—To estimate patients' subjective perception of having urinary incontinence by using a visual analogue scale, and to assess the scale as a preliminary diagnostical tool. Design—Four groups: middle age or elderly, urge or stress symptoms. Interviews by using a symptom questionnaire, and scores by using a visual analogue scale. Subjects—Thirty-six women aged 40–60 years, and fourty women aged 70 or elderly were randomly selected from a resource and information centre for incontinent people. Main results—Women generally experienced urinary incontinence as distressing. Women with urge symptoms had higher scores than women with stress symptoms, and the middle aged women scored higher than the elderly. The study did not support the view that a visual analogue scale can be used as a diagnostic tool.