The association between pelvic floor exercise and the occurrence of urinary incontinence in postpartum women: A literature review

Introduction: Urinary incontinence is commonly associated with pregnancy and the postpartum period and is often caused by pelvic organ prolapse due to weakened pelvic floor muscles. Kegel exercises have been shown to reduce both the severity and occurrence of urinary incontinence. These exercises are considered a primary therapy and preventive measure, leading to notable reductions in incontinence incidents during pregnancy and postpartum. This study aims to further investigate the relationship between pelvic floor exercise or kegel exercise and the occurrence of urinary incontinence in postpartum women.

Method: This study is a literature review, drawing from sources in Google Scholar, PUBMED, and Science Direct, focusing on research published between 2020 and 2025. The study included only original research articles in English or Indonesian with all the required components.

Result and Discussion: From the literature search, 6 studies met the inclusion criteria. Among these, 3 studies found a a significant correlation between pelvic floor (Kegel) exercise and the occurrence of urinary incontinence, 1 article indicates a significant difference in the average urinary incontinence score after the intervention between the two groups, namely the intervention group and the control group, meanwhile the other 2 articles show that although Kegel exercises increase pelvic muscle strength, there is no significant difference between the intervention group and the control group.

Conclusion: In general, pelvic floor exercise likely Kegel exercise has an effect to lower urinary incontinence, though a few studies showed no difference between intervention and control group.