Empowerment of Self-Care Management Among Women Using Vaginal Pessaries on Vaginal Symptoms and Quality of Life

Abstract

Background: A vaginal pessary is one type of nonsurgical treatment for pelvic organ prolapse, which preferred by a wide of women with pelvic organ prolapse. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effect of empowering self management among women using vaginal pessaries on vaginal symptoms and quality of life. A Quasi-experimental design was utilized in the current study. Setting: The study was conducted in outpatient clinic affiliated at Obstetrics & Gynecological Department at Banha University Hospital during the period from January 2017 and completed at the end of December 2017. Subjects: A purposive sample of total 80 women using vaginal support pessaries. Tools: Three tools were used for data collection, general characteristic interviewing questionnaire, pessaries related knowledge and reported self -care practice assessment tool, The International Consultation on Incontinence Modular Questionnaire & the prolapse quality of life tool. Results of the study showed a highly statistically significant differences regarding knowledge and self-care practice vaginal support pessaries and quality of life at different times of assessment (p < 0.000). Conclusion: empowerment of self-management among women using vaginal pessaries was highly effective on reducing severity of vaginal symptoms and improving quality of life. Recommendation: Based on the findings of this study the following should be recommended: The nurses should be familiar with self-care measures for vaginal pessaries in addition to more researches should be conducted considering the demographic and obstetric factors that have a crucial role in precipitating self management for vaginal pessary.