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26 Objective: to assess the association between functional limitations related to mobility and urinary 27 incontinence (UI) in elderly women. 28 Design: observational cross-sectional study. 29 Setting: 9 “balance” workshops in France. 30 Population: 1942 community-dwelling women aged 75-85 years, who were invited, based on voter 31 registration lists, to a "balance assessment". 32 Methods: Mobility and balance test results were compared between incontinent and continent 33 women according to the severity and type of incontinence. 34 Main Outcome Measures: Data on UI were collected using a self-administered questionnaire (ICIQ35 SF). Motor-related physical abilities were assessed using standardised balance and functional gait 36 tests. 37 Results: 42% of women had involuntary urine leakage, with daily leaks in 57% of cases; 24% had 38 stress UI, 31% urge UI, and 37% mixed UI. Results of each functional test were lower in case of UI and 39 the limitation was more pronounced when the incontinence was severe. Multivariate logistic 40 regression analyses showed that balance and gait impairments were significantly and independently 41 associated with urge UI walking speed, lower vs. higher quartile, OR= 2.2 (95% CI 1.4-3.5); walking 42 balance, unable vs. able to do 4 tandem steps, OR= 1.6 (1.2-2.2) but not with stress UI. 43 Conclusion: In this large population of older women living at home, there was a strong association 44 between limitation of motor and balance skills and UI, which was proportional to the severity of 45 incontinence and related specifically to urge incontinence. These results open new perspectives for 46 prevention and treatment of urge incontinence in elderly women. 47 Key-words: ageing, urinary incontinence, balance, mobility, impairment 48 in se rm -0 08 46 02 6, v er si on 1 18 J ul 2 01 3