Journal of Novel Physiotherapies
Open Access

Abstract

Urinary incontinence is a common problem that can develop as a result of various factors. Increased age and number of births are among the risk factors of urinary incontinence, so from young age and from the onset of pregnancy, it is important to create urinary incontinence awareness. The aim of our study was to investigate urinary incontinence awareness of pregnant women. In our study, the questionnaire awareness of urinary incontinence that the researchers created was applied. 123 of 130 pregnant women participating in pregnancy education answered this questionnaire. The mean age of pregnant women participating in our study is 27.9 and 5.7% of them had completed a university degree while 42.3% of primary school. 82.1% of participants stated that the problem of urinary incontinence in adults previously heard and 18.8% of them had knowledge of risk factors causing urinary incontinence. While 111 pregnant women expressed that “urinary incontinence is treatable problem”, only 22 pregnant women of them had knowledge of treatment of urinary incontinence. 66 pregnant women expressed that “I know the surgical operations applies in treatment urinary incontinence” and 37 pregnant women of participants said that the exercise applies are effective in treatment of urinary incontinence. Only 10 pregnant women of 123 had knowledge of physiotherapy applies used in the treatment of urinary incontinence. For the question “Do you know which department you need to go in the presence of urinary incontinence?” 44 pregnant women replied yes and 11 of them expressed that the department must be urology or obstetrics and gynecologic. Although a large proportion of the participants heard urinary incontinence before, but majority of them were not informed of treatment.

Biography

Basak Polat is a Physiotherapist. She graduated from Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey. She is an MSc student in Hacettepe University since 2013. She continued her thesis work “The Effect of Pelvic Floor Muscles Training on Female Sexual Function, Quality of Life”. In addition, she is a Research Assistant in Medipol University, Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation. She is interested in Obstetrics & Urogynecologic rehabilitation.

Email: basakpolat@medipol.edu.tr