Defining and prioritizing modifiable risk factors towards the co-creation of a urinary incontinence self-management intervention for older men: A sequential multimethod study protocol

Abstract

Urinary incontinence (UI), characterized by involuntary urine leakage is a chronic, embarrassing and stigmatizing condition that is under-reported and under-treated). UI is under-prioritized and under-researched, particularly in older men (defined here as men 65+), and there have been calls for more targeted research focusing on this specific group. No existing self-management interventions focus on the needs of older men and none incorporate the perspectives of older men into their development. Furthermore, health inequalities and disparities in continence services for men, and a low level of health seeking behavior in men with UI make it crucial to incorporate their perspectives into intervention development to ensure optimal outcomes. The study will identify risk factors for UI that are potentially amenable to self-management in older men, assess their self-efficacy in managing UI, and determine what modifiable risk factors older men feel are pragmatic to include as part of a self-management program. We will conduct and report a sequential multi-method design consisting of a Delphi study among healthcare experts and a survey among older men with UI, according to the Guidance on Conducting and Reporting Delphi Studies (CREDES) Checklist and the Checklist for Reporting Of Survey Studies (CROSS). A geographically dispersed, multidisciplinary group of 30 health care professionals (urologists, geriatricians, family physicians, and nurses) involved in continence care and a representative sample of at least 128 ethnically diverse older men will participate in a Delphi survey and an older men’s survey respectively. The healthcare experts will evaluate an evidence-synthesized list of UI risk factors to determine those potentially amenable to self-management. Delphi rounds will be repeated until consensus threshold of 75% is reached. Thereafter, older men recruited via stratified sampling of population subgroups will rate a list of expert-identified potentially modifiable risk factors to indicate which factors they deem practicable and can prioritize. Older men’s survey questionnaires will capture information on patients’ characteristics (socio-demographics and UI-related items). The Geriatric Self-Efficacy Index for UI (GSE-UI Index) as well as a Likert scale to assess perceived capability and willingness to modify the expert-identified UI modifiable risk factors will be included. Data will be analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively.