Overview
The Effect of Pelvic Floor Exercises During Pregnancy on Obstetric Outcomes and Urinary Incontinence: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial
Description
The study is a randomized controlled trial. It will be conducted at Konya City Hospital between December 2025 and June 2026. A total of 151 primiparous pregnant women will be included in the study (intervention group n=75, control group n=76). The intervention group will receive a pelvic floor exercise program, while the control group will not perform any pelvic floor exercises. Data will be collected using a personal information form, a pre-labor and post-labor follow-up form, and the Michigan Incontinence Severity Index.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
- Registered in the hospital's prenatal school and actively participating in the 3-day training sessions,
- Aged between 18 and 35 years,
- Between 28 and 30 weeks of gestation,
- Having a singleton and low-risk pregnancy,
- Primiparous (expecting their first birth),
- Voluntarily agreeing to participate by signing the written informed consent form,
- Able to read, understand, and communicate in Turkish.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Those who have previously given birth vaginally or by cesarean section (multiparous women),
- Those with multiple pregnancies,
- Those who conceived through assisted reproductive techniques,
- Those diagnosed with serious obstetric or medical complications during pregnancy (e.g., preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, risk of preterm birth),
- Those with chronic constipation or cough,
- Those who are overweight or obese,
- Those with chronic or recurrent urinary tract infections,
- Those with a history of psychiatric diagnosis or currently receiving psychiatric treatment,
- Those with a diagnosis of or treatment for urinary incontinence,
- Those unable to regularly attend the education sessions or who discontinue the program,