Mobile App–Based Self-Management of Urinary Incontinence in Pregnant Women: Multicenter Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial
Abstract
Abstract Background Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common condition during pregnancy, significantly impacting the physical and mental well-being as well as quality of life. With advancements in mobile health technology, mobile apps provide innovative approaches for managing UI. Although small-scale studies have demonstrated their efficacy in alleviating maternal UI symptoms, there is a notable lack of large-scale, multicenter trials to validate these findings. Objective This multicenter randomized controlled trial evaluated the effectiveness of a mobile app (“Urinary Incontinence for Women”) for self-management of UI among pregnant women. Methods A total of 295 participants were recruited from obstetric clinics at 5 hospitals and randomized to either a 12-week mobile app–based intervention group (n=148) or a standard care group (n=147). The primary outcome was UI symptom severity, with secondary outcomes of the impact of UI on quality of life and self-efficacy in pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT). Assessments were conducted at baseline, postintervention (12 weeks), and 6‐8 weeks postpartum via electronic questionnaires. Generalized estimating equation modeling was used to evaluate the intervention effects. Subgroup analyses were performed to examine intervention effects across different baseline characteristics. Results A total of 267 participants (267/295, 90.5%) completed all assessments. The intervention group showed significantly improved UI symptom severity compared…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a randomized trial, done in people. Its evidence level is 2 of 5 (High · randomized trial). Randomized trials of a reasonable size are the strongest single-study design. Reported size: 295 participants or records.
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