Pilot: Mind Over Matter: Healthy Bowels, Healthy Bladder

The study is to pilot-test an innovative, combined urinary/bowel continence workshop in two Wisconsin communities. Between 8-15 women with incontinence will be enrolled in each of the two pilot communities and will complete three 90-minute workshop sessions over a 6 week period.

The pilot study will use mixed methods to compare pre- and post-workshop data about urinary and bowel incontinence symptoms and care-seeking from workshop participants as well as information about workshop acceptability from workshop participants and community partners. The study is expected to last 6 months from initial IRB approval through data analysis and workshop revision. This research will provide preliminary data for a larger test of this workshop in four diverse Wisconsin Communities, followed by a randomized, controlled trial and subsequent dissemination research study.

3 workshop sessions over a one-month period using self-efficacy and health behavior change to improve incontinence symptoms and promote care-seeking if symptoms do not improve sufficiently

Change in Urinary Distress Inventory-6 Subscale of Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory-20 from baseline Patient Global Impression of Improvement in urinary symptoms at 3 month follow up

Change in Colorectal Anal Distress Inventory-8 Subscale of Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory-20 from baseline Patient Global Impression of Improvement in bowel symptoms at 3 month follow up

Difference between baseline and 3 month follow up on Geriatric Self-Efficacy for Urinary Incontinence scale

Score on the Barriers to Incontinence Care-Seeking Questionnaire (BICS-Q) at three month follow up as compared to baseline

Barriers to Care-Seeking for Accidental Bowel Leakage responses - difference from baseline to 3 month follow up

Inclusion Criteria: qualifying symptoms in 3 months prior to enrollment Exclusion Criteria: receiving new treatment for qualifying symptoms in 3 months prior to enrollment