COMPARATIVE EFFECTS OF SUPERVISED VERSUS HOME-BASED PELVIC FLOOR MUSCLE TRAINING ON FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG WOMEN WITH URINARY INCONTINENCE IN THIRD TRIMESTER OF PREGNANCY: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL
Keywords:
Urinary Incontinence; Pregnancy; Pelvic Floor Muscle Training; Supervised Training; Home-Based Training; Quality of Life; Functional Disability.Abstract
Background: Urinary incontinence (UI) is common during pregnancy and may adversely affect physical functioning and quality of life. Pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) is an established intervention; however, access to supervised physiotherapy may be limited. This study compared the effects of supervised and home-based PFMT on UI-related functional disability and quality of life among women in the third trimester of pregnancy.
Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, 34 pregnant women aged 25–35 years with UI were randomly allocated to supervised PFMT (n=17) or home-based PFMT (n=17) for 6 weeks. Outcomes were assessed using the King's Health Questionnaire (KHQ) and Incontinence Impact Questionnaire-7 (IIQ-7). Within- and between-group differences were analysed using appropriate parametric and non-parametric tests.
Results: Both groups demonstrated significant improvements following the intervention (p<0.001). KHQ Severity Measures scores decreased from 37.25±18.43 to 9.80±11.50 in the supervised group and from 35.29±13.35 to 22.55±15.80 in the home-based group. A significant between-group difference was observed (p=0.002). Similarly, IIQ-7 scores decreased from 56.58±21.55 to 15.41±14.54 in the supervised group and from 55.46±16.49 to 33.33±23.14 in the home-based group (p<0.001 for both groups), with a significant between-group difference (p=0.002). Significant between-group differences were also observed in KHQ domains including Incontinence Impact, Social Limitations, Personal Relationships, Sleep/Energy, and Severity Measures.
Conclusion: Six weeks of both supervised and home-based PFMT significantly improved UI-related quality of life and functional impairment in pregnant women during the third trimester. Supervised PFMT produced greater improvements in overall outcomes and may provide additional benefits compared with home-based training.
