INTRODUCTION Urinary incontinence is a disorder of considerable significance in older adults. It causes distress and morbidity, yet its true prevalence in the community is likely underestimated, because stigma and other factors may cause underreporting. WHO has developed a 10-minute screening tool to help primary healthcare providers recognize and manage the most common geriatric conditions: falls, memory loss, depression and urinary incontinence.

OBJECTIVE Determine prevalence of urinary incontinence in adults aged ≥60 years in Westmoreland Parish, Jamaica; examine some of the associated risk factors; estimate how much urinary incontinence goes unreported and explore related barriers.

METHODS A cross-sectional study in April 2014 of 454 older adults was conducted in 12 community clusters in Westmoreland. Data collection was done using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 17. Chi-square and Fisher exact tests were used to assess significance of associations between dependent and independent variables.

RESULTS The majority (241/454, 53.1%) of respondents were men aged 60–95 years (median age 69 years; interquartile range: 64–77). Prevalence of urinary incontinence was 10.6% (48/453). Statistically significant associations were found between urinary incontinence and hypertension, diabetes mellitus, prostate problems and arthritis, but not with kidney problems, stroke or parity. Among respondents with urinary incontinence, 30.2% had not reported the condition to their doctor (13/43 who answered this question). Reasons cited for nonreporting included belief that urinary incontinence is normal with aging (9 respondents), not being bothered by urinary incontinence (7), inability to pay for treatment (6), feeling ashamed to report the condition (4), not knowing the appropriate doctor to see (2) and lack of awareness of available treatment options (1). Among respondents who had unreported urinary incontinence, 10 indicated a preference for physician-initiated (as opposed to self-initiated) discussion of urinary incontinence.

CONCLUSION The substantial prevalence of urinary incontinence and high rate of nonreporting (almost one in three) underscore the need for systematic screening of older adults by doctors, especially at the primary care level, for early detection and appropriate urinary incontinence management.

KEYWORDS Urinary incontinence, prevalence, risk factors, cross-sectional studies, aged, elderly, Jamaica