The effect of pelvic floor muscle training on sexual function, depressive symptoms, and pelvic floor muscle performance in women with overactive bladder: a randomized controlled
- 1Graduate Education Institute, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Nursing, Biruni University, Istanbul, Türkiye Turkey
- 2Faculty of Health Sciences, Biruni University, Istanbul, Türkiye Turkey
Abstract
Introduction: Pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) improves urethral pressure, reduces detrusor muscle overactivity, and helps suppress the micturition reflex, thus contributing to symptom control. This study aimed to investigate the effects of pelvic floor muscle training on sexual function, depressive symptoms, and pelvic floor muscle performance in women with overactive bladder (OAB).
Methods: This study was conducted with 64 women (32 women: intervention group, 32 women: control group) who applied to Erzurum City Hospital Urology Polyclinic between December 1, 2021 and December 1, 2024. The study data were collected by Personal Information Form, Urinary Diary Follow-up Form, Overactive Bladder Questionnaire (OAB-V8), Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), Sexual Quality of Life Scale-Woman (SQoL-F), Epidemiological Research Center Depression Scale (CES-D), Pelvic Floor Muscle Training Intervention Follow-up Form, Digital palpation (pelvic floor muscle strength measurement). In the intervention group, PFMT was performed for 6 weeks with biofeedback with the Simplex Device in accordance with the given PFMT intervention procedure.
Results: Following the 6-week intervention, women receiving PFMT demonstrated significantly lower OAB symptom severity and depressive symptoms and significantly higher sexual function, sexual quality of life, pelvic floor muscle strength, contraction strength, and MVC% than women in the control group. They also showed significantly higher sexual quality of life, pelvic floor muscle contraction strength, maximum voluntary contraction (MVC%), and pelvic floor muscle strength (all p < 0.05). No significant between-group difference was observed in pelvic floor muscle relaxation values (p > 0.05).
Conclusion: Women receiving PFMT demonstrated lower OAB symptom severity and depressive symptom scores and higher sexual quality of life and pelvic floor muscle performance measures. Because female sexual function (FSFI) was the predefined primary outcome, findings related to secondary outcomes should be interpreted as exploratory.
Trial registration: Trial Registration Number: NCT07030608 (ClinicalTrials.gov, May 30, 2025; retrospectively registered).
Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-026-04723-5.
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BibTeX
@article{aladag2026effect,
title = {{The effect of pelvic floor muscle training on sexual function, depressive symptoms, and pelvic floor muscle performance in women with overactive bladder: a randomized controlled}},
author = {Filiz Yılmaz Aladağ and Nezihe Kızılkaya Beji},
journal = {BMC Women's Health},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1186/s12905-026-04723-5},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-026-04723-5},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The effect of pelvic floor muscle training on sexual function, depressive symptoms, and pelvic floor muscle performance in women with overactive bladder: a randomized controlled
AU - Filiz Yılmaz Aladağ
AU - Nezihe Kızılkaya Beji
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/28
JO - BMC Women's Health
DO - 10.1186/s12905-026-04723-5
UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-026-04723-5
AB - Introduction: Pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) improves urethral pressure, reduces detrusor muscle overactivity, and helps suppress the micturition reflex, thus contributing to symptom control. This study aimed to investigate the effects of pelvic floor muscle training on sexual function, depressive symptoms, and pelvic floor muscle performance in women with overactive bladder (OAB). Methods: This study was conducted with 64 women (32 women: intervention group, 32 women: control group) who applied to Erzurum City Hospital Urology Polyclinic between December 1, 2021 and December 1, 2024. The study data were collected by Personal Information Form, Urinary Diary Follow-up Form, Overactive Bladder Questionnaire (OAB-V8), Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), Sexual Quality of Life Scale-Woman (SQoL-F), Epidemiological Research Center Depression Scale (CES-D), Pelvic Floor Muscle Training Intervention Follow-up Form, Digital palpation (pelvic floor muscle strength measurement). In the intervention group, PFMT was performed for 6 weeks with biofeedback with the Simplex Device in accordance with the given PFMT intervention procedure. Results: Following the 6-week intervention, women receiving PFMT demonstrated significantly lower OAB symptom severity and depressive symptoms and significantly higher sexual function, sexual quality of life, pelvic floor muscle strength, contraction strength, and MVC% than women in the control group. They also showed significantly higher sexual quality of life, pelvic floor muscle contraction strength, maximum voluntary contraction (MVC%), and pelvic floor muscle strength (all p < 0.05). No significant between-group difference was observed in pelvic floor muscle relaxation values (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Women receiving PFMT demonstrated lower OAB symptom severity and depressive symptom scores and higher sexual quality of life and pelvic floor muscle performance measures. Because female sexual function (FSFI) was the predefined primary outcome, findings related to secondary outcomes should be interpreted as exploratory. Trial registration: Trial Registration Number: NCT07030608 (ClinicalTrials.gov, May 30, 2025; retrospectively registered). Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-026-04723-5.
SN - 1472-6874
ER -