Urinary incontinence (UI) is common in women. For up to 77%, the use of absorbent continence products (pads) is central to management. Pad changes are common and reasons for change are not fully described. We hypothesized that women change their pads for many reasons other than wetness and at saturation levels well below advertised capacity.
A sample of 11 community dwelling women aged 65-95 (mean 78.1, SD 8.2) years was included. Participants completed a bespoke questionnaire on satisfaction with their current pads; UI severity and quality of life were measured. Participant's pad use and degree of saturation was recorded. Women then participated in a qualitative interview exploring their pad choices and use.
The sample median ICIQ-SF score was 16/21 (IQR 10-17). Median satisfaction of pad use score was 9/20 (IQR 8-12). Median ICIQ LUTS QoL score was 62/76 (IQR 55-67). The median number of pads used per day was 2.3 (IQR 1-4) The median saturation at pad change was 9.5% (IQR 7-19). Qualitative analysis resulted in 43 codes categorized into 7 categories and collapsed into 3 themes "Product factors," "Lifestyle," and "UI and other health factors."
Women appear to "overuse" absorbent products and change them for diverse reasons, often simply to fit in with their daily routine. Individualized education and support in usage would be beneficial.
Neurourology and urodynamics. 2026 May 07 [Epub ahead of print]
Sarah Qureshi, Saima Rajabali, Adrian Wagg
Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.