Outcomes of a small group educational intervention for urinary incontinence: Health-related quality of life

Objectives: This article examines change in general and condition-specific measures of health-related qualify of life (HRQL) among participants in a randomized trial of a community-based intervention for urinary incontinence (UI). Methods: Participants were randomized into intervention or wait control conditions. Participants were women aged 65 or older with urinary incontinence residing in Oklahoma. General HRQL measures included the Physical Function, Mental Health, Vitality, and Health Perceptions subscales of the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36. Condition-specific measures included the Impact of UI and self-management strategies. Results: There were no significant group effects for the general HRQL measures. Intervention participants reported decreased Impact of UI and greater change in self-management strategies than control participants. Discussion: The intervention affected condition-specific quality of life and self-management but not general HRQL. The intervention's impact on quality of life involves change in how the condition is seen as impacting on life and on selection of self-management behaviors.