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Effects of health education on women with urinary incontinence: systematic review and meta-analysis

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Abstract

Introduction and hypothesis

The objective was to investigate the effects of health education (HE) on urinary symptoms and quality of life in women with urinary incontinence (UI).

Methods

A systematic review and meta-analysis of trials evaluating HE for women with UI. The risk of bias was assessed using the revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials.

Results

The search identified 5,118 articles. Eighteen papers were considered eligible. The interventions investigated included health education (HE), combined intervention, self-management (SM), and structured training (ST). Outcomes included quality of life (QoL), UI frequency, UI severity, impression of improvement, incontinence symptoms, urine leakage, fear of leakage, urgency, and incontinence impact. Compared with the control group there was a significant improvement in the frequency, severity, and impact on the QoL for women with UI (assessed by the total score of the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Short Form (ICIQ SF); RR = -1.47, 95% CI [-2.07, -0.88]; two trials; low certainty of the evidence).

Conclusions

This review shows that HE seems to be beneficial in the treatment of women with UI when compared with control women (no treatment or general health care), improving the frequency, severity, and impact on QoL assessed by the ICIQ SF total score. However, the certainty of this evidence is low.

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Acknowledgements

The authors appreciate the funding organizations Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES); São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) for funding this research.

Authors’ contributions

A.J.S. Sousa: project development, data collection, data analysis, manuscript writing/editing, and other (approval of the submitted version); J.C. Rodrigues: project development, data collection, manuscript writing/editing, and other (approval of the submitted version); J.F. Padilha: project development, data collection, manuscript writing/editing, and other (approval of the submitted version); A.G. Godoy: projective development, data collection, manuscript writing/editing, other (approval of the submitted version); A.M. Degani: project development, data collection, manuscript writing/editing, and other (approval of the submitted version); A. Danna-Santos: project development, data collection, manuscript writing/editing, and other (approval of the submitted version); P. Driusso: project development, data analysis, manuscript writing/editing, and other (approval of the submitted version).

Funding

This study was financed in part by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – (CAPES) – Finance Code 001 and São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), project number 2018/26718-9.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Women’s Health Research Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, Federal University of São Carlos, Rodovia Washington Luís, km 235, São Carlos, SP, CEP: 13565-905, Brazil

    Ana Jéssica dos Santos Sousa, Jéssica Cordeiro Rodrigues, Amanda Garcia Godoy & Patricia Driusso

  2. Urogynecological Physiotherapy Laboratory, Department of Physical Therapy, Federal University of Amapá, Macapá, AP, Brazil

    Juliana Falcão Padilha

  3. Laboratory for Advancements in Rehabilitation Sciences, Department of Physical Therapy, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI, USA

    Adriana Menezes Degani & Alessander Danna-Santos

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  1. Ana Jéssica dos Santos Sousa
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Brief summary

Health education seems to be beneficial in the treatment of women with urinary incontinence, improving the frequency, severity, and impact on quality of life

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dos Santos Sousa, A.J., Cordeiro Rodrigues, J., Falcão Padilha, J. et al. Effects of health education on women with urinary incontinence: systematic review and meta-analysis. Int Urogynecol J 35, 273–289 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00192-023-05693-0

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