BEHAVIORAL THERAPY FOR UI IN AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN

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This project is designed to achieve the health promotion and disease prevention goals of the nation by stimulating nursing research into health problems through the development of a research career of an RN investigator. The health problem being addressed in this project is urinary incontinence (UI). The research aims are: to increase knowledge of complex research designs and analysis; to develop an ongoing research program that will contribute to nursing knowledge; and to improve the quality of life for African American women with UI through the use of behavioral therapy. The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of a behavioral therapy management program in reducing the severity of incontinence and improving the quality of life in African American women. The design is quasi-experimental with random assignment to groups. The population for this study is African American women 50 years of age and above. A convenience sample of 200 will be selected from the Observational Study of the Women's Health Initiative. The research aims are to compare the effectiveness of Biofeedback taught pelvic muscle exercise, verbal taught pelvic muscle exercise and no treatment in the severity of urinary incontinence, to examine the impact of the methods of exercises on the quality of life, and compare adherence and relapse rates of subjects that receive VPME, BTPME and no treatment. Data will be collected at baseline and post treatment (six weeks later) from incontinence history and pelvic examination, Bladder Diary, Incontinence Questionnaire, and Quality of Life Scale. Follow up will occur at 3, 6, 9 and 12 month intervals post treatment to determine adherence and relapse rates. Data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics to denote frequencies and other measures of central tendency. Bladder Diaries will be coded and analyzed to address the research aims and appropriate statistical analysis will be conducted including ANOVA.