Article

OBJECTIVE: To explore the predictors of treatment effectiveness for women with
urinary incontinence (UI) receiving pelvic floor muscle (PFM) strengthening.
DESIGN: Four-month cohort study. SETTING: Laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Volunteers
(N=68; mean age +/- SD,
50.5+/-6.0y) with UI. INTERVENTION: Four-month daily PFM
strengthening exercise program at home. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Outcome measures
included self-reported improvement, Severity Index score, 3-days diary, strength
of PFM, and quality of life. The participants' recall of the amount of exercise
after the 4-month exercise period was used to assess the exercise adherence.
RESULTS: Fifty-one (75%) of 68 women reported that their condition improved after
4 months of exercise. There were significant reductions in Severity Index score,
number of voidings per day, number of leakages per day, and impact on quality of
life (P<.05). In addition, the score of PFM strength was significantly improved
(P=.001). There were no significant correlations between the change score of the
Severity Index and age, body mass index, parity, type of UI, duration of UI,
menopausal status, and amount of exercise (all P>.10). Multiple regression
analysis revealed that initial severity of symptoms and improvement of PFM
strength predicted 51.3% of variance in 4-month exercise effectiveness (change
score of the Severity Index). CONCLUSIONS: The effectiveness of the 4-month PFM
strengthening program was influenced by the severity of symptoms and the
improvement score of PFM strength instead of exercise adherence. Women who had
more significant symptoms of leakage (higher score on the Severity Index at
baseline) and who had more improvement of PFM strength showed more improvement of
symptoms after PFM strengthening.
CI - Copyright (c) 2012 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS