OBJECTIVE We determined elderly persons' knowledge about the epidemiology and treatment of urinary incontinence (UI) as part of a preintervention survey for the Educational Demonstration of Urinary Continence Assessment and Treatment for the Elderly (EDUCATE). METHODS An intact-group pretest-posttest design was employed to measure the effects of multimethod educational interventions on the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of physicians and older people concerning UI. METHODS A random sample of community-dwelling people aged 65 years and older from two counties in Massachusetts was selected (n = 1,140). METHODS A 14-item urinary incontinence quiz was developed from information presented in the AHCPR UI Guideline Panel's recommendations. Participants answers to the quiz were part of a 20-minute telephone interview. RESULTS For nine of the fact items, the elderly respondents were more likely to give the correct answer than the incorrect answer. However, for only four of those nine did the percentage of correct responses exceed 50% (there were substantial proportions of "don't know" responses). For several fact items, those who were younger, female, or had more formal education were more likely to provide correct responses. CONCLUSIONS There are substantial gaps in the knowledge of older persons about urinary incontinence, especially among men, those age 85 and older, and those with lower levels of education. These knowledge gaps may contribute to misinterpretation of symptoms and underreporting of symptoms to health care professionals. This pattern of findings indicates a greater need for community education on urinary incontinence.