Self-efficacy and social support enable women to protect their pelvic floor health

A nonrandomized controlled trial in rural Nepal

Dados Bibliográficos

ID4229161
AutoresVica Marie Jelena Jonitz (0000-0002-7752-2355, Department of Health Psychology & Behavioral Medicine, Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland), Akina Shrestha (0000-0003-2902-827X, Kathmandu University School of Medical Sciences, Dhulikhel Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal), Helena Luginbuehl (0000-0002-9865-7144, Bern University of Applied Sciences), Aastha Kasaju (Department of Health Psychology & Behavioral Medicine, Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland), Chiara Scarnato (Department of Health Psychology & Behavioral Medicine, Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland), Regula Meierhofer (0000-0002-9691-9374, Department of Sanitation, Water and Solid Waste for Development (Sandec), Eawag - Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland), Jennifer Inauen (0000-0002-7884-3222, Department of Health Psychology & Behavioral Medicine, Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland)
Ano2025
Volume30
Fascículo8
Páginas2013-2029
Data de publicação2025-07-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoJournal of Health Psychology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1359-1053 • E-ISSN: 1461-7277
EditoraSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/13591053241283945
PMID39473326
OpenAlexW4403893930
IdiomaEN
Referências citadas51

Carrying heavy loads increases the risk of pelvic organ disorders, particularly in low-income countries. Low self-efficacy hampers adoption of pelvic-floor-protective behaviors. The enabling hypothesis suggests that social support may strengthen women's behavioral self-efficacy. A three-arm parallel non-randomized controlled trial with 300 women and their social partners experimentally examined whether self-efficacy and social support can enable women's pelvic-floor-protective behaviors in rural Nepal. Three villages received (1) self-efficacy (2) self-efficacy and social support promotion, or (3) information only control. The co-primary outcomes were reduced weight carried and using protective lifting techniques at 2-month follow-up. Self-efficacy promotion increased the use of protective lifting techniques 9% more than information only ( d = 0.28). Weight was reduced by 3 kg more when additionally promoting social support compared to self-efficacy alone ( d = 0.39). Self-efficacy and social support promotion enable women to better protect their pelvic floor health and may complement educational approaches to health behavior change in low-resource populations

Environmental health · Health promotion · Pelvic floor · Physical therapy · Political science · Promotion (chess · Public health · Randomized controlled trial · Self-efficacy · Social support · Climate Change and Health Impacts · Medicine · Nursing · Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet · Pelvic floor disorders treatments · Psychology · Gerontology · Social Psychology · Surgery