ArticleBMC urology2020
A meta-ethnography to understand the experience of living with urinary incontinence: 'is it just part and parcel of life?'
Article in BMC urology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 41 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
41 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Women's perceptions of urinary incontinence during the postpartum period: systematic review of qualitative evidence.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2026Pooled it
- Pelvic floor muscle training with feedback or biofeedback for urinary incontinence in women.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2025Pooled it
- Comparisons of approaches to pelvic floor muscle training for urinary incontinence in women.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2024Pooled it
- The Experience of Women From Underrepresented Groups With Urinary Incontinence: A Systematic Review.Journal of transcultural nursing : official journal of the Transcultural Nursing Society · 2023Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Pelvic floor muscle training for female urinary incontinence: development of a programme theory from a longitudinal qualitative case study.BMC women's health · 2024Trial
- The role of in-person focus groups in the management of urinary incontinence in women from a mixed-methods, randomized pilot study.Archives of gynecology and obstetrics · 2022Trial
- Managing the silent burden: a grounded theory study on urinary incontinence in older women.BMC geriatrics · 2026Article
- Feasibility and short-term comparative outcomes of a digital-assisted community-based electrical stimulation rehabilitation program for postmenopausal women with pelvic floor dysfunction: a non-randomized controlled study.BMC women's health · 2026Article
- Associations of urinary incontinence, absorbent product use, and confidence gained from absorbent product use with perceived ageism in later adulthood.The Gerontologist · 2026Article
- Emotions Associated With Urinary Incontinence in Nursing Home Residents: A Phenomenological Analysis of Healthcare Professionals' Perspectives.Nursing open · 2026Article
- Factors contributing to long-term vaginal pessary use: A mixed-methods study.International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics · 2026Article
- Navigating Uncharted Waters: A Meta-Ethnography Exploring General Practitioners and Women's Experience of Perimenopause Consultations in General Practice.International journal of women's health · 2026Review
- Cross-Sectional Associations of Depressive Symptoms, Anxiety Symptoms, and Emotional Support Seeking with Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms and Bladder Health.International urogynecology journal · 2025Article
- Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Physiotherapists Regarding the Management of Urinary Incontinence in Elderly Patients in France: A Cross-Sectional Study.Lower urinary tract symptoms · 2025Article
- Workload, Availability of Diagnostic Tools, and Treatment Options for Urinary Incontinence and Other Pelvic Floor Disorders in Women: An Online Survey on Practice and Challenges Faced by Providers of Urogynaecological Healthcare in Ten African Countries.International urogynecology journal · 2025Article
- Assessment of Female Sexual Function Following Transobturator Midurethral Sling for Stress Urinary Incontinence 12 and 36 Months After Surgical Treatment in Postmenopausal Women.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- Examining the Relationship Between Urinary Incontinence and Women's Physical Activity Engagement: Barriers and Disclosure Patterns.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Innovating Care for Postmenopausal Women Using a Digital Approach for Pelvic Floor Dysfunctions: Prospective Longitudinal Cohort Study.JMIR mHealth and uHealth · 2025Article
- Educating the future: Serbian healthcare students' knowledge and attitudes toward urinary incontinence.BMC medical education · 2025Observational
Corrections and comments
- Commented on byGeriatrics.2021
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundUrinary incontinence (UI) is highly prevalent and affects the lives of many men and women. We aimed to conduct a qualitative evidence synthesis (QES) to explore the experience of living with UI and to develop a conceptual model that can help us to understand this experience, and the potential barriers to appropriate healthcare.
methodsWe used the methods of meta-ethnography developed by Noblit and Hare and recently refined for larger studies. Meta-ethnography involves identifying concepts from the studies and abstracting these concepts into a line of argument. We searched for studies that explored the experience of adults with UI. We used the GRADE-CERQual framework to assess confidence in review findings.
resultsWe screened 2307 titles, 429 abstracts, 107 full texts and included 41 studies (36 unique samples) in the synthesis. We organised the concepts into 26 conceptual categories, which we further abstracted into 6 themes: (1) Am I ill or is this normal? (2) It effects who I am and how I feel; (3) I feel stigmatised, ashamed and guilty; (4) talking can be difficult but it can help; (5) keeping incontinence under control; (6) have I got to the point that I need help? Our model conceptualises living with UI as navigating antagonists: Is UI normal or am I ill? Do I need help or am I managing? Do I keep UI to myself (and manage alone) or do I tell other people (and get the support that I need)? Do I use control strategies that focus on concealing (avoid risky situations, wear pads) versus, I use strategies that focus on improving the bodily function to improve continence. Our model highlights the experience of stigma, shame and guilt which exert a pull towards concealment.
conclusionsThe culture of secrecy and profound sense of shame is barrier to seeking help. An environment which reduces the shame and stigma of UI may help people to switch the focus to strategies that will improve continence, rather than conceal incontinence.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.