Online Education Program in Sportswomen for the Prevention of Stress Urinary Incontinence

NCT ID: NCT05667012

Last Updated: 2024-12-06

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 57 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2023-01-02
• Study Completion Date: 2024-06-30

Brief Summary

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) can be defined through its symptoms as the involuntary loss of urine when carrying out an activity or effort that implies an increase in intra-abdominal pressure (IAP).

Perineal dysfunctions are a widespread problem among the sportswomen population. Therefore, a continuous exposure to exercises that entail a high intra-abdominal pressure such as that which occurs in high-impact sports in women.

As seen in other studies in which pelvic floor educational programs were taught; advice and guidance focused on perineal health education helped participants improve knowledge, symptoms, and quality of life, as well as reduce the incidence of SUI.

For these reasons, it is relevant to carry out a prevention and education program in the female population who play high-impact sports, since they have a high prevalence of SUI.

Detailed Description

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) can be defined through its symptoms as the involuntary loss of urine when carrying out an activity or effort that implies an increase in intra-abdominal pressure (IAP), for example, coughing, sneezing or performing sports activities that involve hyperpressive gestures.

Perineal dysfunctions are a widespread problem among the population. Within these dysfunctions, the presence of stress urinary incontinence can be highlighted, the incidence of which is higher in women. Among its risk factors the investigators find; advanced age, obesity, gynecological surgery, pregnancy and vaginal delivery (increasing the risk if it is an instrumental delivery).

On the other hand, although the practice of regular exercise and having an active life is a protective factor for a good physical-functional state, a continuous exposure to exercises that entail a high intra-abdominal pressure such as that which occurs in high-impact sports in women, is another important risk factor to take into account in this population. Of the risk factors, the practice of high-impact sports has also been found, so one in four women who practice different sports classified as high-impact have also ended up developing this pathology.

In addition to the problems at the functional level that SUI entails, the impact it has on the quality of life of the people who suffer from it should be emphasized, assuming the patients feelings related to low mood, frustration, discomfort, modesty, etc. Therefore, their work, social and personal lifestyle is also altered.

In other studies in which pelvic floor educational programs were taught; advice and guidance focused on perineal health education helped participants improve knowledge, symptoms, and quality of life, as well as reduce the incidence of SUI. This is where physiotherapists intervene, since they have an essential role in the transmission of information regarding its prevention and treatment.

For these reasons, it is relevant to carry out a prevention and education program in the female population who play high-impact sports, since they have a high prevalence of SUI, as recommended by the seventh professional principle applied to physiotherapy. Education about the perineal sphere in women reduces the practice of habits that may put their pelvic floor at risk. Despite this, currently in primary care there are not a large number of programs for perineal health. This is demonstrated by different investigations that maintain that almost all the women who participated in them had not consulted their symptoms with anyone or had heard of the pelvic floor muscles or strengthening exercises. Without forgetting that it is increasingly common for women to be present in sports at a professional level, where their demands can favor the increase in the prevalence of suffering from SUI. For this reason, this study intends to observe the effects of a SUI prevention program in female athletes, both low and high level, and check whether there are differences at both levels.

Conditions

Incontinence Stress

Keywords

Educational pills; Prevention; Sports; Physiotherapy

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NON_RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: PREVENTION
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

High intensity

Women who practice sports professionally.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Educational videos

Intervention Type: OTHER

There will be a total of 6 videos, each of these videos will last between 8 and 10 minutes and will be accessed through a YouTube link to a private channel.

Low intensity

Women who practice sport in a non-professional way.

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Educational videos

Intervention Type: OTHER

There will be a total of 6 videos, each of these videos will last between 8 and 10 minutes and will be accessed through a YouTube link to a private channel.

Interventions

Educational videos

There will be a total of 6 videos, each of these videos will last between 8 and 10 minutes and will be accessed through a YouTube link to a private channel.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Women between 18 and 35 years old.
• For the control group who have done sports at least 2 days a week for at least 1 year.
• For the experimental group who are semi or professional athletes and who carry out high intensity/impact.

Exclusion Criteria

• Pregnant or postpartum women or who have undergone gynecological and/or urogynecological surgeries.
• Respiratory, musculoskeletal, metabolic and neurological diseases.
• A minimum of MMS>21.
• Refusal to participate or incomplete questionnaires.
• That they have not been diagnosed with UI of any cause.
• No mastery or comprehension of the Spanish language.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 35 Years
• Eligible Sex: FEMALE
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

University of Valencia

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

David Hernández-Guillén

Assistant professor, PT, PhD

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

David Hernández Guillén, PT, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Valencia

Locations

Faculty of Physiotherapy of the University of Valencia

Valencia, , Spain

Countries

Spain

References

Fuentes-Aparicio L, Dominguez-Navarro F, Maudos-Soriano A, Hernandez-Guillen D. eHealth educational intervention: effects of an online video program in prevention of the pelvic women's health-a non-randomized experimental study. Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2025 Oct 3. doi: 10.1007/s00404-025-08200-6. Online ahead of print.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 41042325 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

ED_IU_ONLINE

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id