International Journal of Medical Surgical Nursing
A Pre-Experimental Study to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Kegel’s Exercise on Reducing Symptoms of Urinary Incontinence Among Women in Selected Villages at Namakkal District
1.Professor, Department of Nursing, Dhanvantri College of Nursing, Pallakkapalayam, Tamil Nadu, India
2.Nursing Superintendent, Department of Nursing, Sitaram Bhartia Institute of Science and Research, New Delhi, India
Abstract
A pre-experimental one-group pre-test–post-test study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of Kegel exercises in reducing urinary incontinence among women aged above 35 years. A total of 30 women were selected from four villages in Namakkal district using a non-probability purposive sampling technique. Data were collected using a socio-demographic questionnaire and a standardized Urinary Incontinence Assessment Scale. Most participants (33%) belonged to the age groups of 40–50 and 50–60 years, and most were married (87%). One-third (33%) had no chronic illness, 60% were engaged in moderate work, and approximately 73% reported a history of urinary tract infection and normal vaginal delivery. Additionally, 70% of the participants were postmenopausal. Pre-test findings revealed that 57% of the women had severe urinary incontinence and 23% had very severe symptoms. Following the intervention, post-test results showed a marked improvement, with 63% of participants reporting mild symptoms and 37% experiencing moderate symptoms. These findings suggest that Kegel exercises were effective in reducing the severity of urinary incontinence. Furthermore, a statistically significant association was observed between post-test urinary incontinence scores and selected demographic variables, including age, marital status, chronic illness, history of urinary tract infection, mode of delivery, and menopausal status (p < 0.05).
Keywords: Kegel exercises, urinary incontinence, women’s health, postmenopausal women,non-pharmacological intervention
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