Atuação da atenção primária à saúde na prevenção da incontinência urinária em mulheres adultas

Abstract

Female urinary incontinence constitutes an important public health issue due to its high prevalence, functional impairments, and psychosocial repercussions associated with the condition. In this context, Primary Health Care plays a strategic role in implementing preventive actions aimed at promoting women’s pelvic health, especially through health education and conservative strategies. The present study aimed to analyze the contributions of health education in Primary Health Care as a strategy for preventing urinary incontinence in adult women. This study consists of an integrative literature review conducted through searches in the PubMed/MEDLINE, Virtual Health Library, LILACS, SciELO, and PEDro databases, including studies published between 2020 and 2026 in Portuguese, English, and Spanish. The search strategy used descriptors related to urinary incontinence, women’s health, health education, prevention, and Primary Health Care. After applying the eligibility criteria, 8 studies composed the final sample of the review. The results demonstrated that educational actions associated with conservative strategies, particularly pelvic floor muscle training, showed positive outcomes in the prevention of female urinary incontinence. Furthermore, the studies revealed limited knowledge among women regarding the condition, its risk factors, and the possibilities of conservative management, reinforcing the relevance of health education in strengthening self-care and early prevention. However, limitations related to low adherence to clinical guidelines, fragility of preventive actions, and insufficient professional training in Primary Health Care still persist.