Association between urinary incontinence severity and subtypes and sexual self-concept among women: a cross-sectional study

Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common condition among women that adversely impacts physical, psychological, and social well-being. Sexual self-concept, which includes individuals’ cognitive and affective perceptions of their sexuality, may be particularly susceptible to the effects of UI. Nevertheless, evidence regarding the correlation between UI and sexual self-concept, particularly across various UI subtypes, remains limited. This study was conducted to examine the relationship between UI and sexual self-concept among women, with consideration of both UI severity and subtype. A cross-sectional study was conducted during 2022–2023 at the Gynecology Clinic of Imam Khomeini Hospital, Sari, Iran. A total of 112 women with clinically confirmed UI completed the Persian versions of the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire–Short Form (ICIQ-UI-SF) and the Multidimensional Sexual Self-Concept Questionnaire (MSSCQ). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent-samples t-tests, and one-way ANOVA to evaluate associations between UI characteristics and various dimensions of sexual self-concept, namely positive, negative, and situational. A total of 112 women participated in the study (mean age 47.42 ± 5.90 years; mean body mass index 26.89 ± 3.67 kg/m²). Overall, 33.0% had moderate and 67.0% had severe UI. Stress UI (42.9%) was the most common subtype, followed by mixed (34.8%) and urgency (22.3%) UI. The mean scores for positive, negative, and situational sexual self-concept were 107.69 ± 22.86, 19.60 ± 11.74, and 70.78 ± 39.93, respectively. No significant association was found between incontinence severity and sexual self-concept dimensions ( p > 0.05). However, women with stress and mixed UI had significantly lower positive sexual self-concept scores ( p = 0.015 and p < 0.001). In comparison, urgency UI was associated with higher negative sexual self-concept scores ( p = 0.004). The results of this study suggest that UI may adversely affect women’s sexual self-concept in subtype-specific ways, regardless of symptom severity. Routine assessment of sexual self-concept and related psychosocial concerns may therefore be beneficial in the comprehensive management of women with UI. Tailored interventions addressing both physical symptoms and sexual self-perceptions could potentially enhance overall sexual well-being and quality of life in this population.