PURI-PRO - Symptoms Impact and eHealth Intervention for Menopausal Women With Urinary Incontinence

Urinary Incontinence (UI) is a public health problem that disrupts the Quality of Life, Productivity, Social Isolation and Sexual Function; its prevalence in peri- and postmenopausal women is around 30-40%. UI remains underreported and undertreated. Previous eHealth interventions have been efficacious with women. Thus, PURI-PRO (Portuguese Urinary Incontinence Project) (FCT Grant 2020.05710.BD) entailed a low-cost 8-week eHealth cognitive-behavioural multidisciplinary intervention aimed at reducing UI symptoms' severity through Pelvic Floor Muscle Training, development of healthy bladder habits, and promotion of adherence to exercises, realistic UI-beliefs, and functional coping strategies. Urinary incontinence symptom severity, frequency and its impact on quality of life, beliefs and strategies regarding urinary incontinence, self-esteem, social isolation, and adherence to pelvic floor muscle excercises were evaluated.

PURI-PRO's intervention followed an experimental design (randomised controlled trial) involving UI intervention (Experimental Group-EG) vs. Health Literacy single-leaflet (Control Group-CG), both delivered through the internet (eHealth). The study was comparative, since the sample was distributed in two groups (EG vs CG) through randomised distribution, and longitudinal, since all the outcome measures were evaluated at four different times.