Barriers and Enablers to Accessing Medical Care for Urinary Incontinence and Prolapse in GLobal Majority Women (BEAM UP & GLOW)

This project aims to explore barriers to treatment seeking for symptoms of prolapse and urinary incontinence in women from ethnic minority/global majority background.

This study consists of three components, each with different methodological approaches:

1. Collecting objective data using validated questionnaires Prolapse and Incontinence Knowledge Questionnaire (PIKQ), Female Genital Self-Image Scale (FGSIS-4) and prevalence and severity of urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse (ICIQ-UI Short Form and ICIQ-VS), age, level of education, level of deprivation (according to postcode), faith, first or preferred language spoken, sexual orientation and employment status to explore whether these are associated with barriers to treatment seeking as measured by the Barriers to Incontinence Care Seeking Questionnaire (BICS-Q) and to estimate the prevalence of urinary incontinence and prolapse in a community group of women from an ethnic minority/global majority background
2. Collecting qualitative data via semi-structured interviews with women from an ethnic minority/global majority background who have sought treatment for urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse to explore barriers they may have experienced and how these were overcome and collecting qualitative data via focus group discussions with women from an ethnic minority/global majority background who attend women's community groups
3. Zine making as a research approach is a creative, participatory method that uses the process of creating zines (small, self-published, often handmade booklets) to generate, explore, and share knowledge . Zine making blends arts-based research and participatory action research and is particularly suited for working with seldom heard communities or exploring stigmatised conditions because it gives participants creative control over how their experiences are communicated, which can be empowering, especially for individuals who are under or misrepresented in mainstream narratives . Zine making is also more accessible for individuals who do not speak English as their first or preferred language, or, have other communication barriers .

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Pelvic Prolapse Conditions
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: No intervention

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 160

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Stuart Ingram, MsC; Phone Number: 0300 3309444 0161; Email: stuart.ingram@mft.nhs.uk

Study Locations

• United Kingdom
  • Manchester, United Kingdom, M13 9WL
    • Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Women who have been referred to MFT for the specified condition. Women attending select community centres in Greater Manchester area.

Description

Women who have been referred to MFT for the specified condition.

Inclusion Criteria:

• To be willing and able to give informed consent
• To have been born female and to currently identify as female
• To be over the age of 18 years
• To have accessed medical care for urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse
• To be from an ethnic minority/ global majority background
• To be able to speak and understand English

Exclusion Criteria:

-

Women attending select community centres in Greater Manchester area.

Inclusion Criteria:

• To be willing and able to give informed consent
• To have been born female and to currently identify as a woman
• To be over the age of 18 years
• To be from an ethnic minority/ global majority background
• To be able to speak and understand either English, or a language which the community group translator can communicate in

Exclusion Criteria:

-

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

2

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
Patients with condition; Women with urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse from an ethnic minority/global majority background who are attending a urogynaecology clinic in the Warrell Unit at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.	Other: No intervention; no intervention
Public; Women from ethnic minority/global majority background attending community groups in Greater Manchester.	Other: No intervention; no intervention

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Prolapse and Incontinence Knowledge Questionnaire (PIKQ)	24 statements, with three responses: "Agree," "Disagree," or "I don't know". Each correct answer is scored 1, incorrect or not known answers score as a 0. Total score is calculated by adding each score together with a maximum total of 24.; The higher the score the greater the knowledge of prolapse and incontinence.	12 months
Barriers to Incontinence Care Seeking questionnaire (BICS-Q)	BICS-Q consists of 14 questions that address different barriers to incontinence care seeking.; Each question is scored between 0-3 based on level of agreement with the statement.; BICS-Q is scored on a scale of 0 to 42.; The higher the score the more barriers to care seeking.	12 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire (ICIQ UI Short Form)	ICIQ-UI SF is scored on a scale of 0 to 21.; The higher the score the more severe the urinary incontinence.	12 months
International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire and Vaginal Symptoms (ICIQ VS)	ICIQ-VS is scored on a scale of 0 to 53.; The higher the score the more severe the vaginal symptoms.	12 months
Female Genital Self-Image Scale (FGSIS-4)	FGSIS-4 is scored on a scale of 4-16.; The higher the score the greater the female genital self-image.	12 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
• Collaborators: Burdett Trust for Nursing
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Lucy Dwyer, PhD, Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): December 1, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): November 30, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): November 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 2, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 15, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): December 30, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): December 30, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 15, 2025
• Last Verified: December 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Urinary incontinence; Pelvic floor dysfunction; Pelvic organ prolapse
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Urogenital Diseases; Male Urogenital Diseases; Pathological Conditions, Anatomical; Urologic Diseases; Female Urogenital Diseases; Female Urogenital Diseases and Pregnancy Complications; Urination Disorders; Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms; Urological Manifestations; Prolapse; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Signs and Symptoms; Urinary Incontinence; Pelvic Organ Prolapse
• Other Study ID Numbers: B02637; 25/WA/0334 (Other Identifier: NHS Research Ethics)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No