Gender Differences Clinical Trial
Official title:
The Greatest Taboo- Urinary Incontinence, Depression and Cancer
Objective/study hypothesis To evaluate how much of a taboo UI is and how it compares to
other medical conditions that may also pose a taboo issue like depression and cancer.
Background Urinary incontinence (UI) is a highly prevalent condition with more than 200
million people worldwide being affected. While physical health does not necessarily have to
be impaired much, restriction of social activities leads to isolation, a significant
reduction in quality of life and will often bring about subsequent morbidity. Despite its
prevalence, many patients suffering from UI go undiagnosed and untreated. Patients often
hesitate to report the problem, and health care professionals often do not ask about it. In
a study Minassian (2003) estimated that just one in four patients actively seeks medical
attention. The reason for this may lie in the shame, embarrassment, and stigma associated
with this condition, which in turn pose significant barriers to seeking professional
treatment. Although mentioned by many narrative reviews and included in some epidemiological
papers on UI, surprisingly we found no data addressing the taboo of UI exclusively. The aim
of our study therefore was
Methods/Design A 13-question self-administered questionnaire was developed and face validity
tested by 2 of the authors (KH, EH). The anonymous questionnaire contained simple questions
on gender and age and then asked yes/no questions on whether test persons knew people with
UI, or suspected other people to be incontinent, if they would address this issue with the
suspected person, and if they thought that UI was a taboo issue in the society. On a scale
from 0 - 10 they were then asked to grade the amount of embarrassment and anxiety if they
themselves were incontinent, compared to depression or cancer. A few questions on knowledge
of the condition of UI and to whom test persons would turn to in case of UI concluded the
short questionnaire, which took about 5 minutes to fill in. A convenience sample of 150 test
persons from waiting areas of a teaching hospital and in private practices of general
practitioners in Austria agreed to take part in the study, with an additional 10 persons
(6.2%) declining after being informed about the subject. Data were analysed with the SPSS
10.0.5 software package using the U-test, Chi-square-test, Yates-correction, Fisher's exact
test and Kolmogorov-Smirnov normality test where appropriate.
| Status | Completed |
| Enrollment | 150 |
| Est. completion date | April 2007 |
| Est. primary completion date | April 2006 |
| Accepts healthy volunteers | Accepts Healthy Volunteers |
| Gender | Both |
| Age group | 18 Years and older |
| Eligibility |
Inclusion Criteria: - Subjects older than 18 years willing to take part in study mentally capable to understand and fill in anonymous questionnaire Exclusion Criteria: - incomplete questionnaire |
Observational Model: Ecologic or Community, Time Perspective: Cross-Sectional
| Country | Name | City | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | Medical University of Vienna Austria | Vienna |
| Lead Sponsor | Collaborator |
|---|---|
| Medical University of Vienna |
Austria,
| Type | Measure | Description | Time frame | Safety issue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary | Perception of given medical condition as a taboo issue | single point in time | No | |
| Secondary | Knowledge of treatment options of incontinence | single point in time | No | |
| Secondary | Knowledge of friends or relatives with incontinence | single point in time | No |
| Status | Clinical Trial | Phase | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recruiting |
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