Comfort Theory-Based Nursing Interventions in Women with Stress Urinary Incontinence

Summary

Urinary incontinence (UI) is a symptom that develops due to damage to the bladder, sphincter mechanism or pelvic floor muscles, defined as unconscious urinary incontinence, which is a common health problem among adult women. Urinary incontinence can be classified as urge incontinence (UUI), stress incontinence (SUI) or mixed incontinence (MUI). Considering the prevalence values of UI subtypes that change with age, it was found that SUI was the highest (32%) in the 40-59 age group.

Although UI is not life-threatening, it imposes significant limitations on women's activities of daily living and sexual and interpersonal relationships. Emotional problems such as embarrassment, depression, sadness and low body image associated with UI have a negative impact on quality of life. Pharmacological, surgical and behavioral treatment methods can be applied in the treatment of UI, which causes significant negative effects on quality of life. However, there are various limitations in the implementation of these methods. This situation has revealed the necessity of developing new methods in the treatment of UI. One of the behavioral treatment methods that can provide therapeutic benefits for urinary incontinence is yoga. Recently, yoga has become a new option for strengthening pelvic floor muscles and treating symptoms related to pelvic floor dysfunctions. Yoga can be practiced by women without constant supervision by healthcare providers, thus providing an accessible and cost-effective self-management strategy for large numbers of women in the community.

Nurses have important roles and responsibilities in the diagnosis, treatment and care process of UI. Nurses need to plan and implement a care that will increase the quality of life and provide comfort for patients with UI. The word comfort, which we often use in our daily life, expresses a basic human need. The taxonomic structure of the Comfort Theory, which was formed on the basis of the concept of comfort, which is a nursing function, attempt and at the same time, the intended result of most nursing interventions, consisting of three levels and four dimensions, was revealed by Kolcaba in 1988. Kolcaba emphasized that comfort care is a process as an attempt to achieve comfort, and that increasing comfort level is a product.

In the literature, no randomized controlled study was found in which nursing interventions based on Comfort Theory were applied to female patients with a diagnosis of SUI. In this study, it is aimed to evaluate the effect of nursing interventions based on Comfort Theory applied to female patients with a diagnosis of SUI on UI, quality of life and comfort level.

Conditions

• Urinary Incontinence

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Nursing Practices Based on Kolcaba's Comfort Theory

Nursing interventions planned to be carried out within the scope of the research will be based on Comfort Theory. Nursing interventions will be planned according to the needs in the physical comfort (diet practice, providing effective and correct pelvic floor muscle contraction, repetitive and regular yoga practice training), psychospiritual comfort (appreciation and encouragement, self-confidence, expressing the feeling of embarrassment, expressing fear, confidence, repetitive and regular practice of yoga practice, meditation), sociocultural comfort (to be informed, to develop effective interpersonal communication, to interact with other women with SUI) and environmental comfort (Informing about making the necessary arrangements to prevent possible situations such as sleep disruption and falling, bad smell, etc. and performing nursing practices by respecting privacy). The yoga practice will carry out with the participation of 60-minute group yoga classes twice a week for 6 weeks.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Akdeniz University

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

FEMALE

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2022-12-21

Primary Completion

2024-06-01

Completion

2025-01-10

Countries

• Turkey (Türkiye)

Study Locations