Core Muscle Strength, Endurance, and Balance in Women With Urinary Incontinence

Completed

• Conditions: Urinary Incontinence

• Registration Number: NCT07127549
• Lead Sponsor: Halic University

Brief Summary

Urinary incontinence (UI) is defined as the involuntary loss of urine that occurs outside the individual's control and negatively affects both hygiene and social life. Research indicates that individuals with UI experience decreased core muscle strength and endurance, which may also lead to changes in balance parameters. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate core muscle strength, endurance, and balance parameters in women with UI, taking the type of UI into consideration.

This study was conducted between January 2025 and April 2025 at the Urogynecology Clinic of Başakşehir Çam and Sakura City Hospital in Istanbul, with patients diagnosed with UI by a specialist physician. A total of 32 participants were included. All participants were administered a demographic assessment form; the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF) to assess physical activity level; the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory (PFDI-20) and all of its subscales to evaluate the severity of symptoms associated with pelvic floor distress; urodynamic measurement; a pad test to assess the severity of UI; a perineometer device to evaluate pelvic floor muscle (PFM) strength; the Sahrmann five-level core stabilization test and the Stabilizer Pressure Biofeedback Unit to assess core muscle strength; McGill's Trunk Endurance Tests for core endurance; and the Y Balance Test to assess balance.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2025-01-27
• Primary Completion: 2025-05-21
• Study Completion: 2025-07-20
• Status Verified: 2025-08
• Study First Submitted: 2025-08-11
• Study First Submitted QC: 2025-08-11
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-08-11
• Study First Posted: 2025-08-17
• Last Update Posted: 2025-08-17

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: Female
• Target Recruitment: 32

Inclusion Criteria

• Diagnosed with urinary incontinence by a specialist physician
• Native Turkish speaker
• Willing to participate in the study

Exclusion Criteria

• Pregnant
• Given birth within the past year
• Cooperation problems
• Presence of urinary infection
• Diagnosed with pelvic organ prolapse (POP) stage higher than 2
• History of pelvic surgery
• Presence of dizziness, vertigo, tinnitus, hearing loss, or ear fullness (uncontrolled vestibulopathies)
• Use of medications that affect balance
• Resistance to digital vaginal palpation or insertion of a perineometer into the vagina
• Orthopedic, cognitive, cardiac, or neurological conditions that may prevent participation in the study

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Assessment of Urine Flow Rate and Volume	At the day of enrollment	A uroflowmetry device was used to assess urine flow rate and volume.; A uroflowmetry device was used to assess urine flow rate and volume
Assessment of Core Muscle Strength	At the day of enrollment	The Stabilizer Pressure Biofeedback Unit® (Chattanooga Medical Supply Inc., Chattanooga, TN) was used to determine the level of core stabilization.
Balance Assessment	At the day of enrollment	The Y Balance Test was used to assess balance.
Assessment of Pelvic Floor Muscle Strength	At the day of enrollment	a previously validated perineometer with good inter-rater reliability and reproducibility was used to assess pelvic floor muscle strength.; a previously validated perineometer with good inter-rater reliability and reproducibility was used to assess pelvic floor muscle strength.; A previously validated perineometer with good inter-rater reliability and reproducibility was used to assess pelvic floor muscle strength.
Assessment of Urinary Incontinence Severity	At the day of enrollment	A 1-hour pad test was used to determine the severity of urinary incontinence.
Assessment of Core Endurance and Stability	At the day of enrollment	The test protocol developed by McGill and colleagues was applied to measure core endurance.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
International Physical Activity Questionnaire - Short Form (IPAQ-SF)	At the day of enrollment	The IPAQ-SF is a brief self-report questionnaire used to assess the physical activity levels of individuals over the past 7 days. It measures the frequency and duration of walking, moderate-intensity, and vigorous-intensity activities.
Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory-20 (PFDI-20)	At the day of enrollment	The PFDI-20 is a questionnaire designed to evaluate the presence and severity of pelvic floor distress symptoms, including urinary, colorectal, and pelvic organ prolapse symptoms. It helps assess the impact of these symptoms on a patient's quality of life.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Halic University; 🇹🇷 Istanbul, Turkey