Comparison of outcomes between postpartum and non‐postpartum women with stress urinary incontinence treated with conservative therapy: A prospective cohort study

Aim This study aimed to compare the outcomes of pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) between postpartum and non‐postpartum women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and to detect potential factors that may influence these outcomes. Methods A total of 54 and 79 participants were recruited into postpartum (PP group) and non‐postpartum (non‐PP group) groups, respectively. A physiotherapist treated the participants twice a week for 6‐8 weeks. At baseline and 6 and 12 months after treatment, the 1‐h pad weight test (PWT), vaginal contraction pressure (VCP), and Incontinence Impact Questionnaire Short Form (IIQ‐7) were assessed by an evaluator or physiotherapist. The primary outcome was PWT improvement. The participants whose PWT improvement reached a >50% reduction relative to baseline were considered responders. Secondary outcomes included VCP, IIQ‐7 score, and patient satisfaction rate. Results The PWT improvement was 87.04% (95%CI: 0.78, 0.96) in the PP group at 1‐year follow‐up, which was significantly better than the 72.15% improvement (95%CI: 0.62, 0.82) in the non‐PP group (OR = 2.591, 95%CI: 1.018, 6.595, P = 0.041). Changes in VCP and BMI were significant predictors of responders in the regression analysis. As the change in VCP increased by 1 cmH2O, the efficiency increased by 4.2% (OR = 1.042, 95%CI: 1.010, 1.070). The change in BMI increased by 1 kg/m2, and the efficiency decreased 23.0% (OR = 0.770, 95%CI: 0.633, 0.937). Conclusions The outcome of PFMT in postpartum participants with SUI was better than that in non‐postpartum participants. Women with more improvements in VCP and weight loss showed better amelioration of SUI symptoms after PFMT.