Mind over bladder: Women, aging, and bladder health

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Urology
• Digital Health

Background:

• Urinary incontinence (UI) significantly impacts the quality of life for older women.
• Effective self-management strategies are crucial for independent living in this demographic.
• Existing interventions may not fully address the needs of older women in retirement communities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy and acceptability of a novel, electronically delivered self-management intervention for UI.
• To assess the intervention's impact on UI episodes and daily life in older women.
• To determine the feasibility of using digital platforms for UI self-management in a retirement community setting.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods pilot study conducted over ten weeks.
• Participants used a custom website or CD for the intervention.
• Intervention components included daily mindfulness, bladder diaries, and bladder health education.

Main Results:

• 71% of participants (5 out of 8) experienced reduced daily UI episodes post-intervention (p=0.055).
• A statistically significant decrease in the impact of UI on daily life was reported (p=0.04).
• High acceptability scores and subjective UI improvement were noted by 71% of participants.

Conclusions:

• The electronically delivered self-management intervention is effective for older women with UI.
• The intervention demonstrates high acceptability within the target population.
• Further research with larger, diverse cohorts is warranted to confirm findings.