Relationships among Use of Complementary and Alternative Interventions, Urinary Incontinence, Quality of Life, and Self-esteem in Women with Urinary Incontinence

Abstract

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine associations among sociodemographic characteristics, urinary incontinence (UI) characteristics, UI-specific quality of life and self-esteem, and use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) interventions for UI. DESIGN: Correlational-descriptive research. SUBJECTS AND SETTING: This sample comprised 394 female patients 18 years or older cared for in the urology and gynecology outpatient clinics of a university hospital in Samsun, Turkey. METHODS: Participants completed an investigator-developed questionnaire that included 2 validated instruments, King's Health Questionnaire (KHQ) and the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale. Descriptive statistics were used for demographic data and use of CAM interventions. Variables associated with CAM use were assessed using ?2 analysis. The differences between using CAM and scales points of the KHQ and the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale were assessed using the t test, and the relationship between the KHQ and the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale was assessed using correlation analysis. RESULTS: Thirty-three percent (n = 130) of women indicated using CAM interventions to manage their UI. The most common CAM intervention, reported by 52.6% of respondents, was prayer. Women with lower UI-specific quality of life and self-esteem scores were more likely to report using CAM interventions (P <.05). Women with lower education level used CAM more frequently than others (P <.05). Analysis revealed weak but statistically significant positive correlations for role limitations, physical limitations, social limitations, emotions, sleep/energy level and the symptom severity (P <.001), and personal relationships (P <.01) subdimensions of the KHQ. CONCLUSIONS: One-third of women indicated using CAM methods to manage their UI; the most commonly used intervention was prayer. Women using CAM reported both higher self-esteem and condition-specific health-related quality of life than women who did not use these interventions. Copyright © 2018 by the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society.