Table 3.

Description of studies: Author, year, country, condition, age, number of participants (number of men), aim, data collection, methodology, recruitment context, assessment of relevance and quality

Author & Year	Geography	Condition	Age	Number (male)	Aim to explore:	Data collection, methodology	Recruitment	Relevance	Assessment
1. Andersson et al. 2008 [116]	Sweden	UI	66–89	11	Experience of UI among women who do not desire further treatment	Interviews, Phenomenology	District nurse	direct	satisfactory
2. Andersson et al. 2009 [117]	Sweden	UI	30 80+	14	Experience of UI among Syrian women living in Sweden	Focus groups, Phenomenology	Snowball sample	direct	satisfactory
3. Ashworth & Hagan 1993 [118]	UK	UI	25–55	28	Women’s’ experience of UI	Interviews, Phenomenology	newspaper	direct	key
4. Cochran 1998 [119]	USA	UI	60–88	19 (NK)	Experience of UI of older persons living in the community	Interviews, Not stated	Community volunteer/doctor invite	direct	satisfactory
5. Doshani et al. 2007 [120]	UK	UI	36–82	24	Experience of UI among south Asian Indian women in Leicester, UK	Focus groups, Thematic analysis	South Asian community centres	direct	satisfactory
6. Dowd 1991 [121]	USA	UI	58–79	7	Experience of UI and adjustment in older women	Interviews, Grounded theory	‘convenience sample’	direct	satisfactory
7. Getliffe et al. 2007 [122]	UK	UI	29–89	99	Experience of using absorbent products for ‘light’ UI and impact on women’s quality of life	Interviews, Thematic analysis	Incontinence services, consumer organisations and adverts	indirect#	satisfactory
8. Gjerde et al. 2013 [123]	Ethiopia	UI	NK	181	Experience of UI in rural and semi urban settings in Ethiopia	Interviews, Systematic text condensation	part of a Incontinence and Prolapse study.	direct	satisfactory
9. Griffiths et al. 2009 [124]	UK	UI	30–74	22	Experience of physiotherapy sessions for the management of UI	Interviews, Thematic analysis	Embedded in a trial	direct	satisfactory
10. Hägglund & Wadesten [125]	Sweden	UI	34–52	14	Experience of UI	Interviews, Phenomenology	Cohort study; women who had not sought help	direct	satisfactory
11. Hägglund & Ahlström 2007 [126]	Sweden	UI	37–52	13	Experience of UI and health seeking in long-term UI	Interviews, Phenomenology	Cohort study; women who had sought help for UI	direct	satisfactory
12. Hamid et al. 2015 [127]	Iran	UI	52–68	17	Experience of Muslim community-dwelling postmenopausal women of UI	Interviews, Phenomenology	Community snowball sample	direct	satisfactory
13. Hayder & Schnepp a 2010 [128]	Germany	UI	38–83	32 (10)	Experience of UI in daily life	Interviews, Grounded theory	Community advert	direct	key
14. Haydera 2012 [129]	Germany	UI	38–83	32 (10)	Experience of UI and impact on sexuality and intimate relationships	Interviews,	Community advert	direct	satisfactory
15. Higa et al. 2011 [130]	Brazil	UI	30–45	8	the meanings of silence for Brazilian women with UI	Interviews, Content analysis,	Community snowball sample	direct	satisfactory
16. Horrocks et al. 2004 [131]	UK	UI	66–94	20 (9)	Why older people living in the community do not seek help with UI	Interviews, Grounded theory	Community survey	partial*	satisfactory
17. Jackson et al. 2012 [132]	USA	UI	NK	144 (71)	How talking with others influences symptom management	Interviews, Thematic analysis	Community survey	direct	satisfactory
18. Kao et al. 2015 [133]	Taiwan	UI	44–66	12	Experiences of PFMT for UI and the impact on their sexuality	Interviews, Thematic analysis	Women who had gone to a PFMT education programme	indirect	satisfactory
19. Komorowski & Chen 2006 [134]	China	UI	24–81	15	Experiences of Chinese women living with UI	Interviews, IPA	Reported UK at Obstetrics and gynaecology department	direct	satisfactory
20. Li, Low & Lee 2007 [135]	Hong Kong	UI	42–77	9	Community-dwelling women’s experiences in coping with UI	Interviews Content analysis	Continence clinic (stress incontinence)	direct	satisfactory
21. Macinnes 2008 [136]	UK	UI	28–65	12	To explore why some women with UI drop out of healthcare	Telephone interviews, Thematic analysis	Continence clinic (stress incontinence)	direct	satisfactory
22. Mason et al.b 1999 [137]	Australia	UI	21–45	52	The effects of stress incontinence on women in their childbearing years	Interviews, Thematic analysis	One year post-partum with UI	partial	satisfactory
23. Mason et al. b2001 [138]	Australia	UI	21–45	52	are women made aware of UI at the time of childbirth and why some do not seek help	Interviews, Thematic analysis	One year post-partum with UI	partial	satisfactory
24. Milne 2006 [139]	Canada	UI	24–86	38 (5)	Self-care strategies in UI and factors that influence their self-care choices	15 interviews/3 focus groups description	Adverts in health clinics, newspapers, health education sessions, clinics	direct	satisfactory
25. Nicolson et al. 2008 [140]	UK	OAB	51–85	18 (8)	Experiences of overactive bladder symptoms	Interviews/focus groups, Thematic analysis	Primary care, adverts	direct	satisfactory
26. Peake & Mandersonc 2003 [141]	Australia	UI	40–60	75	Social aspects of UI in women in their middle years.	Interviews, Thematic analysis	Primary care	direct	key
27. Peake, Manderson & Pottsc 1999 [142]	Australia	UI	40–60	75	Women’s discourse regarding theirown UI	Interviews, Thematic analysis	Primary care	direct	key
28. Roos et al. 2014 [143]	Netherlands	POP/UI	31–64	37	Impact of pelvic organ prolapse and/or UI on sexual dysfunction	Interviews, Thematic analysis	Scheduled for corrective surgery	indirect	satisfactory
29. Sange et al. 2008 [144]	UK	UI	21–70	9	Religious/cultural influences on help-seeking in south Asian Muslim women	Focus groups, Framework analysis	Language classes	direct	satisfactory
30. Shaw et al. 2001 [145]	Australia	UI	40–63	31 (8)	Help seeking behaviour in people with UI and barriers to service use	Interviews Thematic analysis	Embedded in a continence service trial	indirect	satisfactory
31. Shaw et al. 2008 [146]	UK	UI	41–89	33 (18)	help-seeking in middle and older aged people with UI	Interviews Grounded theory	Community survey	direct	satisfactory
32. Shaw, William & Assassa 2000 [147]	Australia	UI	40–62	23 (7)	Patients’ views of a new nurse led continence service in a randomized trial	Interviews Thematic analysis	Post course led by continence nurse	direct	satisfactory
33. Siu 2014 [148]d	Hong Kong	OAB	21–59	30	Doctor-patient communication (female patients and male urologists)	Interviews Thematic analysis	OAB patient self-help group	direct	satisfactory
34. Siu 2015 [149]d	Hong Kong	OAB	21–59	30	Reasons behind doctor shopping behaviour in patients with overactive bladder	Interviews Thematic analysis	OAB patient self-help group	direct	satisfactory
35. Skoner & Haylor 1993 [150]	USA	UI	31–50	8	Perceptions of UI	Interviews Grounded theory	Women’s’ magazines or snowball sample	direct	satisfactory
36. St John, James & Mckenzie 2002 [151]	Australia	UI	40–66	11 (5)	Perspectives of a service for community dwelling people with UI	Interviews Thematic analysis	Community health, continence service, home visits	direct	satisfactory
37. van Den Muijsenbergh & Lagro-Janssen 2006 [152]	Netherlands	UI	45 MEAN	30	The impact of UI on Moroccan and Turkish women and their treatment preferences	Interviews Thematic analysis	Primary care, pelvic floor physio, Moroccan care consultants	direct	satisfactory
38. Welch et al. e 2012 [153]	USA	LUTS	34–85	90 (49)	qualitative methods for developing patient-reported outcomes	Interviews Thematic analysis	Community survey	indirect	satisfactory
39. Welch, Taubenberger & Tennstedte 2011 [154]	USA	LUTS	34–85	90 (49)	Treatment seeking for lower urinary tract symptoms	Interviews Thematic analysis	Community survey	indirect	satisfactory
40. Wilkinson 2001 [155]	Australia	UI	40–64	6	Experiences of Pakistani women with UI	Interviews Thematic analysis	Continence service	direct	satisfactory
41. Zeznock, Gilje & Bradway 2009 [156]	Alaska	UI	33–86	17	Experiences of Alaskan women living with UI in rural/urban settings	Interviews Thematic analysis	Urological, women’s health and primary care	direct	satisfactory

OAB overactive bladder, POP pelvic organ prolapse, LUTS lower urinary tract infection, IPA interpretative phenomenological analysis

¹ 5/18 constant UI from obstetric fistula, others had mild to continuous leakage; ^*2 men had permanent indwelling catheters; ^# 16/99 linked to other conditions

^a,b,c,d,e themes drawn from a single cohort in these studies