To determine the efficacy of an Arabic mobile application consisting of therapeutic exercises on UI severity, mental health symptoms, and quality of life among women with UI.To determine the efficacy of an Arabic mobile application consisting of therapeutic exercises on UI severity, mental health symptoms, and quality of life among women with UI.
A randomized controlled trial was conducted with participants recruited from gynecology and urology clinics in northern Jordan. Demographic data were gathered at baseline. The International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire (ICIQ), Depression Anxiety Stress Scales, and Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) were collected at baseline, after two months of intervention, and two months of follow-up. Participants were randomly assigned to either an intervention group (n=50), which received an application with eleven evidence-based therapeutic exercise videos, or a control group (n=50), which received a sham application with general information about UI.
The sample had a mean age of 38.65 (±9.55) years and a body mass index of 29.08 (±3.64) kg/m². The majority of the women (67%) were not employed. At baseline, there were no significant differences between the intervention and control groups for all outcome measures. After two months of intervention, the intervention group showed a significant reduction compared to the control group in the mean ICIQ-Total score (10.50 vs. 14.92, p .001), anxiety score (9.12 vs. 11.73, p .001), depression score (10.16 vs. 12.12, p .007), and stress score (12.04 vs. 13.51, p .018). However, there were no significant differences between the groups in SF-12 Mental (p = .118) and SF-12 Physical (p = .217) scores. At the 2-month follow-up, the intervention group showed significant improvements across all measured variables compared to the control group. The intervention group had lower scores in mean ICIQ-Total (8.86 vs. 14.47, p .001), anxiety score (mean 6.04 vs. 10.31, p .001), depression score (mean 6.72 vs. 11.20, p .001), and stress score (mean 8.64 vs. 13.29, p .001). Additionally, the intervention group had higher scores in mean SF-12 Mental (mean 18.52 vs. 16.69, p .001) and SF-12 Physical (13.40 vs. 12.61, p .001), indicating better mental and physical health outcomes.
Therapeutic exercise delivered via an Arabic mobile application effectively reduced the severity of UI, improved mental health symptoms, and enhanced the quality of life among Arabic-speaking women with UI.
The study highlights the potential of mobile health applications to provide effective, accessible, and scalable interventions for UI. This can enhance patient adherence, improve clinical outcomes, increase healthcare accessibility, and reduce the burden on healthcare facilities.
Women Health
Digital Health
