Suffering in silence: a community-based study of fecal incontinence in women

Fecal incontinence (FI) is a very common problem in women especially among the elderly. Women with FI experience significant physical and psychological disability and lifestyle limitations. This study attempts to estimate FI among community women above 40 years of age and its associated risk factors in Tehran, Iran. In this cross-sectional study, via cluster sampling, a total of 800 community middle-aged women were randomly selected and interviewed using a questionnaire. Prevalence of FI was 18.4 %. Our findings show that FI was associated with UI, osteoarthritis, diabetes mellitus, and inflammatory bowel disease. FI was a prevalent condition in Iranian middle-aged women. Future efforts should be aimed at screening FI in women, offering services to treat them, reducing personal and complication-related costs, and improving their quality of life.