The Effect of Selected Exercise Programs on the Quality of Life in Women with Grade 1 Stress Urinary Incontinence and Its Relationship with Various Body Mass Indices: A Randomized Trial

Abstract EN

Aims.

The aim of the study was to analyze the influence gymnastics has on the quality of life (QOL) in women with grade 1 stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and to determine the relationship between the outcome and selected body weight indices: body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR).

Methods.

A randomized study of 140 women (45-60 years) with grade 1 SUI.

The subjects were randomly assigned to a 3-month training for pelvic floor muscles and a transverse abdominal muscle (PFM + TrA, n=70) or PFM alone (n=70).

The QOL was determined with the questionnaire International Consultation on Incontinence Modular Questionnaire–Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Quality of Life (ICIQ LUTS QOL), before and after the program.

Results.

Women with BMI<30 kg/m2 benefited more from the PFM + TrA program with respect to physical limitations and embarrassment domains, whereas patients with a gynoid body type (WHR<0.8) benefited more in terms of physical and social limitations, SUI-evoked emotions, severity measures, and embarrassment domains.

Conclusions.

After the PFM + TrA training, women with WHR<0.8 had a better QOL than those with WHR>0.8.