A Study on Self-Esteem and Urinary Symptoms in Women with Urinary Incontinence

Lee, Young Hee; Kim, Sun Are

Abstract

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to help enhance the quality of life for women with urinary incontinence. Self-esteem, urinary symptoms, peak pressure and duration in seconds for vaginal contraction after pelvic muscles exercise were examined. METHOD: One-group pretest-posttest design was employed. Participants were 27 married women from G city. The instrument for this study were: the self-esteem scale developed by Rosenberg(1965), the Urinary Symptom Questionnaire, a subjective measurement of urinary incontinence, developed by Jackson et al.(1996) and the Perineometer used as an objective measurement of peak pressure and duration in seconds. RESULT: 1. Self-esteem showed significant improvement after the exercise (t=-3.832, p=0.001). 2. Comparison of results before the pelvic muscles exercise and after showed that there was a statistically significant difference for several urinary symptoms including enuresis (t=2.833, p=0.009), frequency of incontinence (t=2.964, p=0.006), incontinence volume (t=2.280, p=0.031), incontinence before getting to the restroom (t=3.035, p=0.006), incontinence with no reason or feeling (t= 3.051, p=0.005), burning sensation (t= 2.132, p=0.043), and a sense of residual urine (t=2.267, p=0.032). The mean scores showed improvement in the urinary symptoms of, management of incontinence (M=0.04+/-0.22), daily frequency of incontinence management (M=0.13+/-0.85), urinary control (M=0.15+/-0.86), running to the restroom (M=0.15+/-0.60), incontinence caused by coughing or physical activities (M=0.19+/-0.57), and hesitancy (M=0.07+/-0.55). Overall urinary symptoms decreased significantly (t=3.073, p=0.007). 3. Peak pressure showed an increase from a mean of 24.26+/-6.20mmHg before the exercise to a mean of 28.63+/-7.79mmHg after (t=-2.399, p=0.024). Duration in seconds also increased from a mean of 6.00+/-0.95sec to 9.15+/-0.83sec (t=-4.400, p=0.000).
CONCLUSION
These findings suggest that pelvic muscle exercise serves to decrease urinary problems, improve self-esteem and increase peak pressure and duration in seconds.