Table 3.
Selected studies of physical activity and urinary incontinence
| Reference | Sample | Physical activity measure | Menopausal symptom measure | Other measures | Main findings | Summarized findings: observed association | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Null | Positive | Negative | Mixed | ||||||
| Cross-sectional studies | |||||||||
| Aydin et al. 2014 [34] | 1071 Islamic postmenopausal women (of 1328 women that expressed interest) who attended an outpatient clinic from 2005–12 | Questionnaire included an item on regular exercise, defined as 30-min for ≥2 times per week (yes/no) | Validated questionnaire assessing genitourinary symptoms, including presence or absence of urinary symptoms (dysuria, frequency, urgency, nocturia, and incontinence) | Sociodemographic factors, health behaviors, anthropometrics, length of menopausal status (months) | There was no significant difference in urinary symptoms in regular exercisers versus non-exercisers | x | |||
| Prospective cohort studies | |||||||||
| de Azevedo Guimaraes et al. 2011 [45] | 120 Brazilian women aged 45–59 years old volunteered for the 12-week study (recruited through work or other institutions) | Habitual PA was assessed through the short form of the International PA Questionnaire (IPAQ); Participants were classified as: maintained <30 min/day, maintained or increased to 30–60 min/day, or maintained or increased to >60 min/day | Urinary complaints (exertion-induced urinary incontinence or difficult micturition) assessed using the Kupperman Menopausal Index | Sociodemographic factors, anthropometrics, menopausal status and symptoms, and QOL | Women classified in the highest active group (maintained or increased to 60 min per day) had reported significantly less instances of leaking urine | x | |||
| 104 women completed the 12-week study | |||||||||
| Non-randomized intervention studies | |||||||||
| Karacan, 2010 [50]a | 112 women aged 46–55. The analytic sample included 65 participants that regularly participated in the 3- and 6-month exercise program | The 6-month exercise program included aerobic activity (75–80 % heart rate capacity) with calisthenics for 3 days a week for 55 min each session | The menopause rating scale (MRS) was composed of 11 items assessing menopausal symptoms divided into three groups: psychological, somatic-vegetative and urogenital | Physical characteristics (height, weight, and age at menopause), resting heart rate and blood pressure, lower back flexibility, hand grip strength, and body composition (skin folds) | There was a significant reduction in urinary symptoms from baseline to 6-months | x | |||
| Randomized controlled studies | |||||||||
| Moilanen et al. 2012 [53]a | 176 Finnish white women were recruited for the study by newspaper advertisements. The analytic sample included 154 inactive participants were randomly assigned to the exercise (n = 74) or control group (n = 77) that completed the 6-month study protocol | Exercise Group: Unsupervised aerobic training intervention; 4 × per week at 64-80 % maximal heart rate for 50 min each time | The frequency of urinary symptoms were collected 2 × per day using a mobile phone- administered questionnaire | Socio-demographic factors, anthropometrics, and menopausal symptoms | There was no change in urinary symptoms as a result of the exercise intervention | x | |||
aPhysical activity dose reflective of 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans [3]