Preliminary Effectiveness of mHealth App-Based Pelvic Floor Muscle Training among Pregnant Women to Improve Their Exercise Adherence: A Pilot Randomised Control Trial

Aida Jaffar, Sherina Mohd Sidik, Chai Nien Foo, Noor Azimah Muhammad, Rosliza Abdul Manaf, Nazhatussima Suhaili, Aida Jaffar, Sherina Mohd Sidik, Chai Nien Foo, Noor Azimah Muhammad, Rosliza Abdul Manaf, Nazhatussima Suhaili

Abstract

This pilot randomised control trial (RCT) aimed to evaluate the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of conducting a full-powered trial for a newly developed pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) app among pregnant women with urinary incontinence (UI) in Malaysia. This was a prospective, single-centre, single-blind, parallel, randomised controlled, pilot feasibility study-the Kegel Exercise Pregnancy Training app (KEPT app) trial. In total, 26 pregnant women with urinary incontinence from an urban healthcare clinic were recruited and randomly assigned to either intervention or waitlist control group. The intervention group received the KEPT app, while the control group received usual antenatal care (waitlist control). Of the 26 pregnant women, 16 (61.5%) completed the two-month follow-up. The recruitment rate was 54.2%, and the retention rate was 62.5% in the intervention group and 60% in the control group. There was a significant difference between intervention and control groups' baseline measurement in the severity of UI (p = 0.031). The app improved their knowledge (p = 0.011) and self-efficacy (p = 0.038) after the first month and attitude (p = 0.034) after two months of intervention, compared with the control group. This study supports the feasibility of our future cluster RCT. The KEPT app demonstrates a promising effect in improving PFMT attitude and self-efficacy and potentially enhancing exercise adherence among pregnant women with UI. Trial registration: This study was prospectively registered on ClinicalTrials.gov on 19 February 2021 (NCT04762433).

Keywords: mHealth app; maternal health; mobile application; pelvic floor muscle training; pilot feasibility study; pregnancy; randomised control trial; urinary incontinence.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
CONSORT study flowchart.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The mean values and standard errors for PFMT adherence of the two groups across the study.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The mean values and standard errors for PFMT knowledge, attitude, practice, and self-efficacy of the two groups across this pilot RCT study.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The mean values and standard errors for urinary incontinence severity and quality of life of the two groups across this pilot RCT study.

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