Urinary Incontinence, Kegel Exercises in Older Adults
摘要
Urinary incontinence is a prevalent geriatric syndrome among older adults. The International Continence Society defines it as the involuntary loss of urine through the urethra, and it has external evidence of urine loss. Current clinical guidelines emphasize the importance of physical rehabilitation as the primary intervention and focus on strengthening weakened pelvic floor muscles in all types of urinary incontinence to mitigate its severity. This research aimed to determine the effectiveness of physical training on urinary continence in older women. This research was a longitudinal study using a quantitative-qualitative approach. Information was collected through the application of tests and questionnaires. An exercise program and physiotherapeutic intervention were implemented to evaluate changes. The study population included 60 older adults between 60 and 85 years old who belonged to a community group in Tungurahua-Ecuador. The intervention lasted 12 weeks with a total of 25 sessions of approximately 45 min, and an initial, intermediate, and final evaluation was performed to obtain the results of the treatment administered. The results obtained in this research suggested that women aged between 60 and 70 years have a higher prevalence of urinary incontinence. The study results indicate that physical training for urinary incontinence is effective, as 81% of older women reported reduced urine loss following the intervention. However, 19% showed no improvement or maintained their frequency of urine loss due to various factors such as poor adherence to the intervention, high BMI, and visual and auditory difficulties in following voice commands during exercise.