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Introduction and Hypothesis <p>Urinary incontinence (UI) is a prevalent public health issue that significantly affects women’s quality of life, leading to social, hygienic, and psychological challenges. Despite the effectiveness of pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) in UI management, poor adherence owing to insufficient knowledge remains a barrier to optimal outcomes. Structured pelvic floor health education programs have been proposed to increase patients’ understanding of and adherence to treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a structured pelvic floor health education program on the knowledge and awareness levels of women with UI and to assess its effectiveness in improving treatment adherence and self-efficacy.</p> Methods <p>A total of 449 female patients diagnosed with UI participated in this educational interventional study at the Pelvic Floor Center of Ankara Etlik City Hospital. Participants received a structured education program delivered by a multidisciplinary team, including theoretical and practical training sessions on pelvic floor anatomy, UI management, and correct PFMT execution. Knowledge levels were assessed before and after the intervention using a validated questionnaire. Statistical analyses, including Spearman correlation and paired <i>t</i> tests, were conducted to evaluate changes in knowledge scores and identify influencing factors.</p> Results <p>The median pre-education Pelvic Floor Health Knowledge Test (PFHKT) score was 2.0 (IQR 16.0), which significantly increased to 22.0 (IQR 6.0) after completion of the education program (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001). Age, BMI, and incontinence severity were negatively correlated with baseline knowledge but positively correlated with knowledge level improvement.</p> Conclusions <p>The structured education program significantly enhanced participants’ knowledge and awareness of pelvic floor health, which may support improved adherence to PFMT. However, adherence and clinical UI outcomes were not directly assessed in this study. These findings emphasize the need to integrate structured education into routine UI management to optimize treatment outcomes and patient engagement. Future research should incorporate objective measures of PFMT adherence and urinary incontinence outcomes to fully evaluate the clinical effectiveness of educational interventions.</p>

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The Effect of Pelvic Floor Health Education on Knowledge and Awareness Levels in Patients with Urinary Incontinence

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年10月13日

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  • Keziban Koçyiğit,
  • Özgür Ortancıl,
  • Nihal Tezel,
  • Selver Özge Şefik,
  • Fatmagül Sarıkaya,
  • Tuğba Kolomuç Gayretli

摘要

Introduction and Hypothesis

Urinary incontinence (UI) is a prevalent public health issue that significantly affects women’s quality of life, leading to social, hygienic, and psychological challenges. Despite the effectiveness of pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) in UI management, poor adherence owing to insufficient knowledge remains a barrier to optimal outcomes. Structured pelvic floor health education programs have been proposed to increase patients’ understanding of and adherence to treatment. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a structured pelvic floor health education program on the knowledge and awareness levels of women with UI and to assess its effectiveness in improving treatment adherence and self-efficacy.

Methods

A total of 449 female patients diagnosed with UI participated in this educational interventional study at the Pelvic Floor Center of Ankara Etlik City Hospital. Participants received a structured education program delivered by a multidisciplinary team, including theoretical and practical training sessions on pelvic floor anatomy, UI management, and correct PFMT execution. Knowledge levels were assessed before and after the intervention using a validated questionnaire. Statistical analyses, including Spearman correlation and paired t tests, were conducted to evaluate changes in knowledge scores and identify influencing factors.

Results

The median pre-education Pelvic Floor Health Knowledge Test (PFHKT) score was 2.0 (IQR 16.0), which significantly increased to 22.0 (IQR 6.0) after completion of the education program (p < 0.001). Age, BMI, and incontinence severity were negatively correlated with baseline knowledge but positively correlated with knowledge level improvement.

Conclusions

The structured education program significantly enhanced participants’ knowledge and awareness of pelvic floor health, which may support improved adherence to PFMT. However, adherence and clinical UI outcomes were not directly assessed in this study. These findings emphasize the need to integrate structured education into routine UI management to optimize treatment outcomes and patient engagement. Future research should incorporate objective measures of PFMT adherence and urinary incontinence outcomes to fully evaluate the clinical effectiveness of educational interventions.