Prevalence of anal, flatal and fecal incontinence in percentages with 95% CIs by general health parameters, reproductive characteristics and bowel symptoms
| Variable (n) | Anal incontinence, % (95% CI) | Flatal incontinence, % (95% CI) | Fecal incontinence, % (95% CI) |
| Educational level | |||
| Compulsory (11 974) | 17.4 (16.7 to 18.1) | 16.8 (16.1 to 17.5) | 2.6 (2.3 to 2.9) |
| Intermediate (7150) | 21.2 (20.2 to 22.2) | 20.5 (19.6 to 21.5) | 3.5 (3.1 to 3.9) |
| Tertiary (1169) | 24.0 (21.6 to 26.5) | 23.4 (20.9 to 25.8) | 3.5 (2.5 to 4.6) |
| Body mass index | |||
| Normal weight (7482) | 18.2 (17.3 to 19.0) | 17.6 (16.7 to 18.5) | 2.4 (2.1 to 2.8) |
| Overweight (7933) | 19.5 (18.6 to 20.4) | 18.8 (18.0 to 19.7) | 2.9 (2.5 to 3.2) |
| Obesity class I (3522) | 19.5 (18.2 to 20.8) | 18.9 (17.6 to 20.2) | 4.0 (3.3 to 4.6) |
| Obesity class II (1352) | 21.4 (19.2 to 23.6) | 20.1 (18.0 to 22.3) | 3.6 (2.6 to 4.6) |
| Self-rated health | |||
| Poor (274) | 33.6 (28.0 to 39.2) | 32.1 (26.6 to 37.7) | 9.9 (6.3 to 13.4) |
| Not so good (5491) | 25.0 (23.9 to 26.2) | 24.2 (23.1 to 25.3) | 4.7 (4.1 to 5.2) |
| Good (10 866) | 17.3 (16.6 to 18.0) | 16.6 (15.9 to 17.3) | 2.4 (2.1 to 2.7) |
| Very good (2881) | 12.7 (11.5 to 14.0) | 12.4 (11.2 to 13.6) | 1.0 (0.6 to 1.4) |
| Urinary incontinence | |||
| Yes (2459) | 34.2 (32.4 to 36.1) | 33.0 (31.1 to 34.8) | 7.8 (6.7 to 8.8) |
| No (3376) | 24.5 (23.0 to 25.9) | 23.6 (22.2 to 25.1) | 3.0 (2.4 to 3.5) |
| Parity | |||
| Nulliparous (1448) | 17.3 (15.4 to 19.3) | 16.8 (14.9 to 18.7) | 3.0 (2.2 to 3.9) |
| 1 childbirth (1760) | 17.3 (15.5 to 19.0) | 16.7 (15.0 to 18.5) | 2.6 (1.9 to 3.4) |
| 2 childbirths (7575) | 17.9 (17.0 to 18.8) | 17.2 (16.4 to 18.1) | 2.5 (2.2 to 2.9) |
| ≥3 childbirths (9608) | 20.7 (19.9 to 21.5) | 20.0 (19.2 to 20.8) | 3.4 (3.1 to 3.8) |
| Menopausal | |||
| Yes (12 612) | 21.1 (20.4 to 21.8) | 20.3 (19.6 to 21.0) | 3.7 (3.3 to 4.0) |
| No (7779) | 15.9 (15.1 to 16.7) | 15.3 (14.5 to 16.2) | 1.7 (1.4 to 2.0) |
| Pelvic surgery | |||
| Pelvic organ prolapse | |||
| Yes (1060) | 30.9 (28.1 to 33.6) | 29.9 (27.1 to 32.7) | 7.1 (5.5 to 8.6) |
| No (19 331) | 18.5 (17.9 to 19.0) | 17.7 (17.2 to 18.3) | 2.8 (2.5 to 3.0) |
| Hysterectomy | |||
| Yes (892) | 23.7 (20.9 to 26.5) | 22.5 (19.8 to 25.3) | 3.5 (2.3 to 4.7) |
| No (19 499) | 18.9 (18.4 to 19.5) | 18.2 (17.6 to 18.7) | 3.0 (2.7 to 3.2) |
| Diarrhoea | |||
| Never/some (10 365) | 18.0 (17.4 to 18.5) | 17.4 (16.9 to 17.9) | 2.4 (2.2 to 2.6) |
| A lot (873) | 44.9 (41.6 to 48.2) | 42.5 (39.2 to 45.8) | 16.0 (13.6 to 18.5) |
| Constipation | |||
| Never/some (18 710) | 17.9 (17.4 to 18.5) | 17.2 (16.7 to 17.8) | 2.9 (2.7 to 3.2) |
| A lot (1681) | 32.7 (30.4 to 34.9) | 32.1 (29.8 to 34.3) | 3.8 (2.8 to 4.7) |
| Both diarrhoea and constipation | |||
| Never/some (19 710) | 18.4 (17.8 to 18.9) | 17.7 (17.1 to 18.3) | 2.7 (2.5 to 2.9) |
| A lot (681) | 41.4 (37.7 to 45.1) | 39.4 (35.7 to 43.0) | 11.5 (9.1 to 13.9) |