Non-face-to-face treatment of stress urinary incontinence: predictors of success after 1 year

Abstract

Introduction and hypothesis: The objective was to determine predictors of long-term success in women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) treated with a 3-month pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) program delivered via the Internet or a brochure. Methods: We included 169 women with SUI ≥1 time/week who completed the 1-year follow-up (n = 169, mean age 50.3, SD 10.1 years). Three outcome variables defined success after 1 year: Patient Global Impression of Improvement (PGI-I), International Consultation on Incontinence Modular Questionnaire Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ-UI SF), and sufficient treatment. Using logistic regression, we analyzed data from the baseline, and from the 4-month and 1-year follow-ups, for potential predictors of success. Results: Of the participants, 77 % (129 out of 169) were successful in ≥1 of the outcomes, 23 % (37 out of 160) were successful in all 3. Participants with successful short-term results were more likely to succeed in the corresponding outcome at 1 year than those without successful short-term results (adjusted odds ratios [ORs]: PGI 5.15, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 2.40–11.03), ICIQ-UI SF 6.85 (95 % CI 2.83–16.58), and sufficient treatment 3.78 (95 % CI 1.58–9.08). Increasing age predicted success in PGI-I and sufficient treatment (adjusted OR 1.06, 95 % CI 1.02–1.10, and 1.08, 95 % CI, 1.03–1.13 respectively). Compared with not training regularly, regular PFMT at 1 year predicted success for PGI and sufficient treatment (adjusted OR 2.32, 95 % CI 1.04–5.20, and 2.99, 95 % CI 1.23–7.27 respectively). Conclusion: The long-term success of a non-face-to-face treatment program for SUI with a focus on PFMT can be predicted by successful short-term results, increasing age, and the performance of regular PFMT after 1 year.