The effect of a self-care application on the quality of life of women with pelvic organ prolapse: a randomized controlled trial

TL;DR

A self-care app improved the quality of life for women with pelvic organ prolapse more than traditional methods.

Contribution

This study demonstrates the effectiveness of a self-care app as a conservative management tool for pelvic organ prolapse.

Findings

The app group showed significantly greater improvement in quality of life scores compared to the control group.

The app group had significantly higher knowledge scores after the intervention.

No significant difference in prolapse stage improvement was observed between the groups.

Abstract

Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a public health problem that affects individuals’ psychosocial quality of life (QOL). However, affected women are often hesitant to seek care and treatment. Access to treatment and self-management for this condition can be supported through self-care applications.

This study aimed to determine the effect of a self-care application on the quality of life of women with pelvic organ prolapse.

This RCT was conducted at Imam Reza Hospital and private women’s clinics in Mashhad, Iran, from February 2024 to August 2024. 64 women were randomly assigned to either the application group or the control group via block randomization, and 56 women completed the study. The control group received pamphlets and face-to-face education, whereas the intervention group used self-care applications alongside routine education. The participants completed a demographic questionnaire and the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quality of Life questionnaire (P-QOL) before and immediately after two months of intervention. A lower score reflects a higher quality of life. For the secondary outcome, participants’ knowledge was assessed before and after the intervention using the Prolapse and Incontinence Knowledge Questionnaire (PIKQ). In addition, the prolapse stage was assessed by the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification (POP-Q). The data were analyzed via SPSS Version 16.

Before the intervention, the median quality-of-life score in the intervention group and in the control group was not statistically significant (P = 0.501). However, the median change in quality of life scores from pre- to post-intervention was − 14.58 (IQR:-20.73 to -11.14) in the intervention group and − 7.49 (IQR:-11.10 to -3.34) in the control group (P < 0.001). After intervention, the proportion of participants with an improvement of one or more POP-Q stages showed no difference between the groups (P = 0.880). After the intervention, the median knowledge score in the intervention group was significantly higher than the control group (P < 0.001).

The application was effective in improving the quality of life of women with symptomatic stage I-II pelvic organ prolapse. In situations where self-care is appropriate, a self-care application can be a suitable alternative to other treatments or other conservative management approaches.

This trial was registered in the Iranian clinical trials database (irct.behdasht.gov.ir) under the code IRCT20230923059497N1. Date of first registration was: 02/12/2023.

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