Adherence of pregnant women to pelvic floor exeercises

• Grant number: 12/25049-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2013
• End date: July 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Nursing - Obstetrical Nursing
• Principal Investigator: Maria Luiza Gonzalez Riesco
• Grantee: Fernanda da Silva Santos
• Host Institution: Escola de Enfermagem (EE). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

In the health-disease process, treatment adherence is an essential part of significant results to patient and cannot be considered only compliance or not of health team prescription. Adherence to the pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) can bring numerous benefits to pregnant women because pregnancy can take negative action on the musculature of PF. OBJECTIVE: To investigate and analyses the adherence of women to unsupervised PFMT during pregnancy. METHODS: An observational, longitudinal and prospective study. The population is comprised of women attending at the insurance health service in Guarulhos, Sao Paulo. The sample consists of all women who begin prenatal care in the first trimester of gestation, from November 2012 to July 2013, according to defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. It is estimated to include about 500 pregnant women in the sample. Pregnancy exposure and guidance for PFMT will be taken into account. The outcome is the adherence of pregnant women to the PFMT. Assessment instruments are forms, answered through interviews during nursing consultation and by telephone. These consultations and contacts are conducted in six steps. The 1st step corresponds to the inclusion of pregnant women in the study, conducted by the nurse or midwife when verbal and written instruction about performing perineal exercises at home are given. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th steps are conducted by the undergraduate student through monthly telephone contact, from the inclusion of pregnant women in the study. The 5th and 6th steps will be conduct during the prenatal consultation, also conducted by the nurse or midwife, between the 22th and 24th and between the 34th and 36th weeks of gestation, respectively. Data will be entered in duplicate using the Excel software. There will be adopted the descriptive and inferential analysis of the data.