Smartphone-based reminder system to promote pelvic floor muscle training for the management of postnatal urinary incontinence: historical control study with propensity score-matched analysis.

backgroundThe purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a smartphone-based reminder system in promoting pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) to help postpartum women manage urinary incontinence (UI).

methodsForty-nine and 212 postpartum women in the intervention and control groups, respectively, received PFMT guidance using a leaflet and verbal instruction as the standard care at an obstetrics clinic in Japan. Women in the intervention group also received PFMT support using the smartphone-based reminder system between January and August 2014. For analysis, they were compared with historical controls between February 2011 and January 2012, who did not receive such support and were chosen by propensity score matching. The outcomes examined were PFMT adherence and UI prevalence. The former consisted of implementation rate (i.e., the percentage of women who reported performing PFMT during the intervention period), training intensity (i.e., the number of pelvic floor muscle contractions (PFMCs) per day), and training frequency (i.e., the number of days PFMT was performed per week); the latter consisted of self-reported UI prevalence at baseline and at the end of the eight-week intervention period.

resultPropensity score matching resulted in 58 postpartum women (

conclusionOur smartphone-based reminder system appears promising in enhancing PFMT adherence and managing postpartum UI in postpartum women. By enhancing PFMT adherence and improving women's ability to manage the condition, the reminder system could improve the health-related quality of life of postpartum women with UI.