The effectiveness of theory based intervention using social media to reduce urinary incontinence among postpartum women in Hebron city hospitals

INTERVENTION: Participants are randomised by permuted block randomization to the intervention group or the control group. The intervention will be a theory‐based intervention with a treatment program for UI, focused on PFME. During the development process, the intervention will be reviewed by the researchers and a test group, until a final version will be accepted. Every week, the women will receive a whatsapp message to remind them to practice PFME and ask them whether they have experienced any problems. The intervention will focuses on PFME but also contains information that described SUI, the pelvic floor, and lifestyle. This study incorporate constructs of the health belief model to promote change in behaviour which increase the practice of pelvic floor muscles exercises. Four constructs of the HBM will be addressed during this study, including perceived benefits of practicing PFME regularly, perceived barriers performing PFME behaviors related to emotional, social, and physical barriers, cues to action/motivation, and self‐efficacy. Perceived barriers to an anticipated behavior to reduce the problem, maintain health, and improve disease may include pain, money, change of habits, embarrassment, inconvenience, and side effects. Health motivation was defined as one’s state of concern about general health matters, resulting in positive health activities and behaviors to decrease disease. The health belief model conceptualizes that a person’s perceptions of susceptibility, seriousness, barriers and benefits are affected by the cues to action and self‐efficacy, and this has the potential to affect or change a person’s behavior (Wilkinson & McIntyre, 2012). Perceived benefits, perceived barriers, cues to action, motivating factors, and self‐efficacy, and all four constructs will be used to design interventions programs to maintain behaviors (do PFME regularly) to reduce UI. The health information will include the benefits of maintaining or improving PFM function and cues to acti CONDITION: Urinary incontinence after childbirth ; Pregnancy and Childbirth PRIMARY OUTCOME: Severity of urinary incontinence measured by International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire‐Urinary Incontinence‐Short Form (ICIQ‐UI SF) at baseline, 3 and 6 months SECONDARY OUTCOME: Level of practice of PFME, measured subjectively using Exercise Adherence Rating Scale (EARS) at baseline, 3 and 6 months INCLUSION CRITERIA: Women with urinary incontinence after child delivery