Educational Videos Were Not Superior to a Folder in Improving Urinary Incontinence Knowledge and Symptoms: A Randomized Controlled Trial

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Pelvic floor dysfunctions affect the physiology of continence and contribute to the onset of lower urinary tract symptoms. We aim to evaluate the effects of a video health education program Educa Mulher on knowledge, symptoms, and severity of urinary incontinence (UI) in incontinent women. METHODS: A single-blinded, parallel-group randomized clinical trial with intention-to-treat analysis was conducted. Seventy-five incontinent women were randomly assigned to the experimental group (EG) or control group (CG). The Prolapse and Incontinence Knowledge Quiz (PIKQ-Br), International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-SF), and Incontinence Severity Index (ISI) were used. Both groups received an educational folder about urinary incontinence and pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT). The EG additionally received educational videos via WhatsApp twice weekly for 1 month. Videos addressed IU knowledge, pelvic floor function, risk factors, quality-of-life impact, treatment options, and PFMT. Within- and between-group differences and 95% confidence intervals were analyzed using linear mixed models with group, time, and group-by-time interaction terms. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 42.93 ± 10.33 years. At baseline, all participants presented with moderate UI, according to the ISI classification, as well as high levels of UI-related knowledge, as assessed by PIKQ-Br. No mean differences were observed in PIKQ-Br (95% CI -1.38 to 0.52), ICIQ-SF (95% CI -2.20 to 1.83), and ISI (95% CI -1.37; 0.89) scores. CONCLUSION: A remote health education program combining WhatsApp-delivered educational videos and an educational folder did not demonstrate superior effectiveness, compared to the folder alone, in improving knowledge, urinary symptoms or severity.