Abstract
Objectives
To investigate the feasibility and acceptability of conducting a future trial of physiotherapy to manage urinary incontinence (UI) in athletic women.
Design
Feasibility study with nested qualitative interviews.
Setting
Community clinics: university and private.
Participants
Adult women who i) lived locally, ii) provided informed consent iii) self-reported UI iv) exercised at high/moderate intensity for over 150 minutes and over three times a week.
Interventions
Up to seven sessions of tailored physiotherapy delivered over 6-months. Despite some variation in prescription and progression, all programmes included elements of pelvic floor muscle training undertaken in clinic and at home.
Main outcome measures
Recruitment, eligibility of those screened, consent, data completion and attendance rates: assessed to determine feasibility of progression to a definitive trial. The acceptability of specific outcome measures, the intervention and of randomisation within a future trial was also examined.
Results
Direct recruitment of athletic women from sporting venues was feasible and acceptable. Most women not only consented to an intimate examination as part of the assessment, but described this as an important part of the intervention. Attendance rates and data completion was generally high but the return of 3-day fluid charts was poor: this was also reflected in comments by participants that these were difficult to incorporate into daily life. The addition of a smartphone app to aid motivation and monitoring was welcomed but further education in its use may enhance compliance.
Conclusions
Direct recruitment from sporting venues was acceptable and feasible. Women valued assessment and treatment for UI.
Clinical Trial Registration Number
NCT03986411.