What health issues do older men hide from their doctors?

A new survey found that one in 10 older men have experienced urinary incontinence — but half of those affected haven’t discussed it with their doctor.

In a recent double-blinded poll of 2,000 U.S. men aged 60 and older conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Boston Scientific, 11% of the men surveyed reported that they have experienced urinary incontinence. However, 58% of those men have not discussed it with their doctor.

Of the 2,000 respondents, 72% have dismissed their health issues on at least one occasion, citing they feel like their issues are a normal part of aging or aren’t that serious, 20% have purposely avoided seeing their doctor despite a health concern and 13% said they’re embarrassed to speak about their health problems.

Despite the hesitancy to discuss it with their doctors, of the 11% who reported experiencing urinary incontinence, nearly two thirds (64%) said it has caused or continues to cause inconveniences in their life and one third (32%) said it has taken a toll on their mental health and overall confidence.

Two-thirds (65%) of the men who reported experiencing urinary incontinence believe there’s a stigma that surrounds the condition. A majority of those same respondents believe the stigma would be significantly reduced if there was more education available from health care providers (56%) and increased public awareness (51%).

“It’s important for men to take their health seriously and open up to their doctor, especially as they age,” said Dr. Ron Morton, chief medical officer, Urology, at Boston Scientific. "We are on a mission to destigmatize urinary incontinence. We want to not only help men feel more comfortable talking to their doctors, but to also raise awareness of the treatment options available to help address this issue."

The survey revealed that the men who have experienced urinary incontinence are aware of some treatment options and have tried various non-surgical methods to resolve it, including medications (46%), pads and diapers (43%) and lifestyle changes (29%). They also indicated awareness of some lesser-known incontinence treatments such as physical therapy (17%) and artificial urinary sphincters (13%).

More than half of the men who have experienced incontinence (59%) said they’d consider surgical treatment if it was proven to be long-lasting and effective.

“Incontinence is not something men should feel they have to ‘just live with’ or hide from,” continued Dr. Morton. “There are several therapies available to treat male urinary incontinence, and an artificial urinary sphincter can be a long-lasting treatment option. We encourage those suffering with incontinence to talk to their doctor about what’s appropriate for them.”

Survey methodology:

Talker Research surveyed 2,000 American men, aged 60 and above; the survey was commissioned by Boston Scientific and administered and conducted online by Talker Research between Nov. 1 and Nov. 8, 2024.

We are sourcing from a non-probability frame and the two main sources we use are:

• Traditional online access panels — where respondents opt-in to take part in online market research for an incentive
• Programmatic — where respondents are online and are given the option to take part in a survey to receive a virtual incentive usually related to the online activity they are engaging in

Those who did not fit the specified sample were terminated from the survey. As the survey is fielded, dynamic online sampling is used, adjusting targeting to achieve the quotas specified as part of the sampling plan.

Regardless of which sources a respondent came from, they were directed to an Online Survey, where the survey was conducted in English; a link to the questionnaire can be shared upon request. Respondents were awarded points for completing the survey. These points have a small cash-equivalent monetary value.

Cells are only reported on for analysis if they have a minimum of 80 respondents, and statistical significance is calculated at the 95% level. Data is not weighted, but quotas and other parameters are put in place to reach the desired sample.

Interviews are excluded from the final analysis if they failed quality-checking measures. This includes:

• Speeders: Respondents who complete the survey in a time that is quicker than one-third of the median length of interview are disqualified as speeders
• Open ends: All verbatim responses (full open-ended questions as well as other please specify options) are checked for inappropriate or irrelevant text
• Bots: Captcha is enabled on surveys, which allows the research team to identify and disqualify bots
• Duplicates: Survey software has “deduping” based on digital fingerprinting, which ensures nobody is allowed to take the survey more than once

It is worth noting that this survey was only available to individuals with internet access, and the results may not be generalizable to those without internet access.