Investigation Of The Effects Of Kegel Exercises On Vaginal Flatus Among Postpartum Women

NCT06896500 | Completed DMC

• 1 other identifier: E-10840098-772.02-3326
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 40
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Title: Investigation of the Effects of Kegel Exercises on Vaginal Flatus Among Postpartum Women Brief Summary: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Kegel exercises in reducing vaginal flatus among postpartum women. Vaginal flatus, the involuntary passage of air through the vagina, is a common but often underreported pelvic floor dysfunction that can affect women's quality of life. A total of 40 postpartum women were randomly assigned to an experimental group (performing Kegel exercises) or a control group (no intervention). The experimental group performed Kegel exercises three times daily in different positions for six weeks. Vaginal flatus frequency and bother scores were assessed using a validated questionnaire, and sexual quality of life was evaluated with the Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire (PISQ-12).

Conditions

Pelvic Floor Awareness; Postpartum; Postpartum Pelvic Floor Function and Symptoms; Flatus

Keywords

kegel exercises; pelvic floor exercises; postpartum period; vaginal gas; vaginal flatus

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Vaginal Flatus Frequency Reduction

  The primary outcome is the change in vaginal flatus frequency, assessed via patient-reported questionnaire before and after the intervention. Smaller values indicate less flatus, while higher values signify an increase in flatus.

  Baseline to at least 6 weeks postpartum

Study Arms (2)

Kegel Exercise Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in this group performed Kegel exercises three times daily in different positions (supine, sitting, and standing) for three weeks, followed by a six-week home program. The exercises targeted both type I and type II muscle fibers with fast and slow contractions.

Behavioral: Kegel Exercises

Control Group

NO INTERVENTION

Participants in this group did not perform any pelvic floor exercises and continued their routine postpartum activities. No intervention was applied

Interventions

Kegel Exercises BEHAVIORAL

Kegel exercises performed three times daily in different positions (supine, sitting, and standing) for three weeks, followed by a six-week home program

Kegel Exercise Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 20 Years - 50 Years
• Gender Eligibility Details: Only individuals who are biologically female and identify as femaleare eligible to participate
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• being between the ages of 20-50,
• being postpartum at least 6 weeks after the last birth,
• having a complaint of vaginal flatus, and being willing to exercise

You may not qualify if:

• being over four months postpartum,
• current pregnancy,
• presence of pelvic infection,
• inability to indicate whether there is vaginal flatus,
• the presence of gynecological cancer.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• merve yilmaz menek: lead
• Istanbul Medipol University Hospital: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Istanbul Medipol University

Istanbul, 34810, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

Related Publications (2)

• Lau HH, Su TH, Chen YY, Huang WC. The Prevalence of Vaginal Flatus in Women With Pelvic Floor Disorders and Its Impact on Sexual Function. J Sex Med. 2021 Mar;18(3):487-492. doi: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2020.12.008. Epub 2021 Jan 24.

  PMID: 33504467 RESULT

• Neels H, Pacquee S, Shek KL, Gillor M, Caudwell-Hall J, Dietz HP. Is vaginal flatus related to pelvic floor functional anatomy? Int Urogynecol J. 2020 Dec;31(12):2551-2555. doi: 10.1007/s00192-020-04371-9. Epub 2020 Jun 11.

  PMID: 32529562 RESULT

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Flatulence

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Signs and Symptoms, Digestive; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Officials

• Ayse Kavasoglu Kaya, M.D.

  Medipol University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: Participants and outcome assessors were blinded to group allocation to prevent bias insubjective evaluations
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: sponsor investigator

Model Details: This is a parallel-group, randomized controlled trial with two arms: an experimental group performing Kegel exercises and a control group receiving no intervention

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 13, 2025
• First Posted: March 26, 2025
• Study Start: June 8, 2022
• Primary Completion: December 31, 2023
• Study Completion: February 28, 2024
• Last Updated: March 26, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-03

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)