Exploring women's bladder self-care practices: A qualitative secondary analysis.
Jean F Wyman, Kathryn L Burgio, Diane K Newman and 7 others
PMID 38864346WHAT IT FOUND
Women described limiting fluids, doing pelvic floor exercises, avoiding public toilets, using pads, and self-treating UTIs to manage bladder health.
Some practices were reported as helpful, others as ineffective, so ask patients what they are doing before advising.
Key findings
01Eight broad self-care themes were described, covering fluids, food and medications, clothing, hygiene, toileting places, voiding timing, pelvic floor exercise, physical activity, and leaving home.
02Many women tried to manage bladder symptoms themselves before seeking professional help, using home remedies, self-monitoring and delay.
03Participants reported holding urine to avoid public restrooms and saving leftover antibiotics for future symptoms.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The focus group guide did not specifically ask about self-care behaviours, so practices were inferred from answers about beliefs, symptoms and care seeking. The data were collected in 2017 and 2018 and were more than 6 years old at analysis. Only a small number of Spanish-speaking participants were included, so language group differences were not analysed. Qualitative focus groups describe experiences and behaviours; they do not test whether any practice helps or harms bladder health. Participants were community women, not a clinical trial sample, so the findings cannot be used as a treatment plan for all patients.
Declared interests
This work was supported by NIDDK at NIH through cooperative agreements, with additional funding from the National Institute on Aging and the NIH Office of Research on Women's Health. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that these practices improve bladder health. The study described what women did, not whether fluid restriction, Kegels, cranberry products, holding urine or self-started antibiotics worked.