Factors Related to Quality of Life in the Older Adults: Urinary Incontinence, Comorbidity and Polypharmacy

Aim: Urinary incontinence (UI) is a health problem that has a significant impact on the quality of life of older adults, especially in the presence of comorbidity and polypharmacy, which tend to increase with age. This study aims to investigate the influence of UI, comorbidity and polypharmacy on quality of life in older adults. Method: This descriptive and correlational study was conducted with 328 older adults between November and June 2020. The data collection tools consisted of a “Personal Information Form” and Quality of Life Scale in older adults. Descriptive statistics, two-way analysis of variance and binary logistic analysis were used to evaluate the data. The significance level was accepted as p<0.05. Results: The prevalence of urinary incontinence in older adults was 46.6%. Female gender (OR: 0.54) and accepting urinary incontinence as a health problem (OR: 3.11) were found to be risk factors for urinary incontinence in older adults (p<0.05). For quality of life, the main effect of the urinary incontinence variable (p<0.001) and the main effect of the polypharmacy variable (p<0.05) were found to be statistically significant. The comorbidity*polypharmacy variable also has an effect on quality of life (p<0.05). Conclusions: According to the findings of this study, approximately one in two older adults experiences urinary incontinence. This condition is more prevalent among older women and among individuals who perceive urinary incontinence as a significant health issue. Both urinary incontinence and polypharmacy have a negative impact on quality of life, with urinary incontinence exerting a greater detrimental effect. Furthermore, the coexistence of comorbidities and polypharmacy is also associated with a decline in quality of life.