Urinary Incontinence (UI) is characterized by the International Continence Society (ICS) as any involuntary loss of urine, and several factors may be linked to this phenomenon, such as age, menopause, and some chronic diseases. However, the relationship between dynapenia and UI has been highlighted in the literature. Dynapenia, defined by the loss of muscle strength, is an event inherent to aging, and this muscle weakness, when in specific regions, such as the pelvic floor, can lead to greater UI events.

To verify the association between dynapenia and the presence of UI in elderly women living in the city of Porto Alegre, RS.

Descriptive and cross-sectional study. The population consisted of women over 60 years of age living in a neighborhood in the city of Porto Alegre, RS. A descriptive questionnaire was used to characterize the subjects and the UI assessed through the International Consultation on Continence Questionnaire – Short Form (ICQ-SF). Muscle strength was assessed using the Sit and Stand Test (SST) and Hand Grip Dynamometry using a Jamar brand dynamometer.

298 elderly women were assessed, and in 78 (33%) the presence of UI was identified. The mean age of women without UI was 75.03 + 7.1 years versus 75.03 + 6.87 years with UI (p= 0.287). There were no significant differences in any of the sample characterization variables, demonstrating that the samples were homogeneous. As for TSL, there was no statistical significance (p=0.086). In Dynamometry, there was a significant difference in favor of the group without UI (p=0.020). The Chi-square test was used to compare the presence of UI with dynapenia, where dynapenic elderly women with UI were 36%, and dynapenic women without UI were 21% (X²=0.0132).

The study indicated that dynapenic elderly women had a higher prevalence of UI, however, other studies seeking to analyze the prospective behavior of these variables should be developed, with larger samples and in different places, in order to reduce the influence of habits and environment.

UI has a high prevalence in the elderly and its relationship with dynapenia must be considered, and this outcome must be considered in the geriatric evaluation and rehabilitation.