The Impact of Urge Urinary Incontinence on Quality of Life: Importance of Patients' Perspective and Explanatory Style

Abstract

Focus groups of older persons with urge incontinence suggest that experts and patients view the impact of urge UI on QoL differently. Whereas experts focus more on functional impact, patients more often cite the impact of UI on their emotional well-being and on the interruption of activities. In addition, the association between negative explanatory style and specific UI-related QoL items suggests that explanatory style may be an important mediator of patients' perceptions of UI-related QoL.