The effect of non-surgical weight loss interventions on urinary incontinence in overweight women: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Although the aetiology of urinary incontinence can be multifactorial, in some cases weight loss could be considered as a part of the therapeutic approach for urinary incontinence in people who are overweight. The objective of this study was to review and meta‐analyse the effect of non‐surgical weight loss interventions on urinary incontinence in overweight women. Web of Science, PubMed, Pedro, SPORTDiscus and Cochrane were systematically searched for clinical trials that met the a priori set criteria. Data of women who participated in non‐surgical weight loss interventions (diet, exercise, medication or a combination) were included in the meta‐analysis. After removing duplicates, 62 articles remained for screening on title, abstract and full text. Six articles (totalling 2,352 subjects in the intervention groups) were included for meta‐analysis. The mean change in urinary incontinence (reported as frequency or quantity, depending on the study) after a non‐surgical weight loss intervention, expressed as standardized effect size and corrected for small sample sizes (Hedges' g), was −0.30 (95%CI = −0.47 to −0.12). This systematic review and meta‐analysis shows evidence that a non‐surgical weight loss intervention has the potential to improve urinary incontinence and should be considered part of standard practice in the management of urinary incontinence in overweight women.