Nursing Researchers to Study Incontinence

NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release

U of M NURSE RESEARCHERS STUDY COSTLY, UNDER-TREATED INCONTINENCE PROBLEM
Nursing research publishes report in journal supplement

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (Nov. 29, 2004) - Incontinence affects millions of Americans, but often goes untreated because it is embarrassing for the patient and poorly understood, even among health providers. A synthesis of research on the topic, Shaping Future Directions for Incontinence Research, will appear November 2004 in the first-ever supplement to the highly respected journal Nursing Research. Published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, it reports on an international invitational summit convened in October 2003 by the Center for Gerontological Nursing at the University of Minnesota School of Nursing as part of the John A. Hartford Foundation Geriatric Nursing Initiative Program.

The University's research was highlighted at the 57th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Gerontological Society of America, held earlier this month in Washington, D.C.

The supplement synthesizes the efforts of nurse researchers and others who study and manage this widespread health condition and is a resource for guiding future research in urinary incontinence (UI) and fecal incontinence (FI). Nursing Research published the supplement "as a way of stepping back from specific, defined research and carefully examining a body of knowledge to re-energize a defined area of research," according to Molly C. Dougherty, Ph.D., APRN, Nursing Research editor and professor of nursing at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The summit brought together 47 researchers, project officers, clinician leaders, doctoral students, and advocates from the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Japan, Norway, and Australia. Many were nurse researchers who study incontinence but do not otherwise have the opportunity to discuss incontinence with each other because their expertise is in varying sub-specialties.

Unmentioned, under-treated, costly - and it affects millions

Urinary incontinence affects at least 17 million Americans, including 28 percent of those older than 60 and 15 percent of those younger. Fecal incontinence affects 5.5 to 17 million adults; approximately 10 percent over 64 are likely to be affected. Incontinence restricts normal daily activity and contributes to anxiety, depression, and poor quality of life. Sufferers may confine themselves to their homes and avoid social contact. To avoid accidents, some risk dehydration by limiting fluid intake - people with FI have even been known to starve themselves. The condition creates a difficult burden for millions of family members and other caregivers, and is an important factor in decision-making regarding nursing home placement.

The condition also takes a significant financial toll. The annual cost of UI in the elderly alone was recently estimated to be $19.5 billion, plus an additional $6 billion to family caregivers of non-institutionalized elders. Costs associated with FI are not available, but assumed to be substantial. As larger numbers of adults reach old age, the prevalence, consequences, and costs of incontinence are expected to rise significantly.

The University's Jean F. Wyman, Ph.D., R.N., FAAN, co-editor of the report, says the need for research on incontinence management among frail elders is particularly great. She says this group is often forgotten as scientists focus on the needs of younger, more ambulatory incontinence patients whose incontinence may be cured.

Available in hard copy and online

Articles in Shaping Future Directions for Incontinence Research address behavior change theories applied to incontinence; population-based strategies for prevention; patient-centered interventions; research on incontinence among frail elders; urinary incontinence in men; fecal incontinence; the use of technology, devices, and products to manage incontinence; and translational research. Editors Wyman, and Donna Z. Bliss, Ph.D., R.N., FAAN, are professors at the University of Minnesota School of Nursing. Wyman is the director of its Center for Gerontological Nursing.

The supplement will be distributed to more than 10,000 researchers and clinicians from many disciplines who serve the elderly. Nurses will be particularly interested in the research-based approaches to care discussed in this publication, since they are major care providers for aging adults and have a key role in preventing, detecting, assessing, and managing incontinence.

Copies are available from Jan Marie Lundgren (lundg026@umn.edu), and online at NursingCenter.com.

Nursing Research is a bi-monthly journal published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW), a leading publisher for physicians, nurses, specialized clinicians and students. LWW provides essential information for health-care professionals in print and electronic formats, including textbooks, journals, CD-ROM, via Intranets and the Internet. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins is part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading information provider for professionals and students in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, science, and related areas. WK Health is a division of Wolters Kluwer, NV, a multinational publisher and information services company with annual revenes (2003) of £3.4 billion, and 18,750 employees worldwide.

The University of Minnesota School of Nursing is ranked among the nation's top nursing schools. It is a leader in nursing research and has a combined undergraduate and graduate enrollment of approximately 850 students. The school produces 55 percent of the faculty in Minnesota's public and private nursing schools, advanced practice nurses, and nurses who can assume leadership positions. It is the oldest continuing university-based school of nursing. The School of Nursing is one of seven schools and colleges in the Academic Health Center, one of the most comprehensive facilities for health professionals in the nation, fostering interdisciplinary study, research, and education.

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