Table 4 Characteristics of selected studies
Identification | Qualitative design | Sampling strategies | Number/ participants | Intervention | Tools | Analysis | Quality criteria reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Abhyankar et al. [19] | Qualitative study—symbolic interactionism | Purposive sampling | 22 women with POP receiving prolapse care | PFMT and/or pessaries | Semi-structured interviews and focus group | Thematic analysis | – |
Ashworth et al. [34] | Phenomenological study | Unknown | 28 women with UI and aged between 25 to 55 years old | PFMT | Non-structured and structured face-to-face interview | Analysis was guided by phenomenological principles, adapting from Giorgi | – |
Asklund et al. [20] | Qualitative study | Purposive sampling | 15 women with SUI and aged between 27 to 72 years old (mean age 47 years old) | PFMT | Semi-structured, telephone interview, guide with open-ended questions | Grounded theory | – |
Bakker et al. [21] | Qualitative study | Purposive sampling | 30 women who treaded with brachytherapy (mean age was 49 years old, aged between 32 to 67 years old) | Vaginal dilator | Semi-structured face-to- face or by telephone interview | The transcriptions were analysed with QSR International's Nvivo 10 software using the Framework Approach | – |
Bjork et al. 2014 | Qualitative study | Strategic selection | 21 women with SUI aged between 30 to 69 years old | PFMT | Semi-structured interview by telephone | Grounded theory | – |
Bonner et al. [31] | Qualitative study | Purposive sampling | 15 women with an average age was 53 years old, aged between 31 to 68 years old | Vaginal dilators | Semi-structured face-to-face or by telephone interview | Thematic analysis | – |
Cacchioni et al. [15] | Qualitative study | Unknown | 31 women were interviewed but only 18 of those interviewed were presented (average age of was 36 years old, aged between 24 to 62 years old) | Hands-on intervention | Semi-structured, in-depth interviews | All interview and fieldwork data were transcribed and manually coded by theme with names and identity-revealing information changed | – |
Delamerlindo et al. [13] | Grounded theory study | Purposive sampling | 18 women aged between 41 to 81 years old | PFMT | Non-directive interview | Grounded theory | – |
Delamerlindo et al. [14] | Qualitative study | Unknown | 18 women with UI aged between 41 to 81 years old | PFMT | Non-directive interview | Grounded theory | – |
Firet et al. [27] | Qualitative study | Purposive sampling | 13 women with SUI aged between 40 to more than 80 years old | PFMT | Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews | Grounded theory and Atlas.ti software | The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research |
Grant et al. [23] | Qualitative exploratory study | Unknown | 31 postnatal women aged between 28 to 43 years old | PFMT | Online and face-to-face focus group | Thematic analysis | – |
Hay-Smith et al. [32] | Unknown | Purposive sampling | 20 women with aged between 23 to 86 years old | PFMT | Semi-structured face-to-face interviews | Descriptive content analysis | – |
Hyland et al. 2013 | Phenomenological study | Purposive sampling | 5 women with POP aged between 45 to 60 years old | PFMT | Semi-structured face-to-face interviews | Interpretative phenomenological analysis | – |
Kao et al. [29] | Qualitative descriptive study | Purposive sampling | 12 women aged between 44 to 66 years old | PFMT | Semi-structured face-to-face in-depth interviews | Thematic analysis | Lincoln and Guba's guidelines: Credibility, Dependability, Confirmability and Transferability |
Lindgren et al. [24] | Qualitative descriptive study | Unknown | 13 women who survived gynaecological cancer, mean age of 66 years old (aged between 48 to 82 years old) | PFMT | Semi-structured interview | Content analysis | – |
Macey et al. [25] | Qualitative study—phenomenological approach | Convenience sampling | 13 women were interviewed aged between 20 to 67 years old | Vaginal dilators | Semi-structured interviews | Thematic analysis | Although the article did not present in writing the use of quality criteria, some could be identified during the reading |
Mackenzie [26] | Phenomenological study | Phenomenological sampling | 5 women | Perineal massage | Semi-structured, in-depth interviews | Colaizzi's data analysis framework | Verbatim quotes are utilised in reports of the findings to further enhance credibility, subjects were only invited to participate if they had had no prior contact with the researcher |
Maldonado et al. [18] | Qualitative study | Unknown | 29 Spanish-speaking women with symptoms of POP (aged between 40 to 79 years old, mean 50) | Pessaries | Semi-structured interview/in focus group | Grounded theory | – |
Sevilla et al. [16] | Qualitative study | Unknown | 16 Spanish-speaking women with a mean age of 67.6 (aged between 47 to 85) years old | Pessary | Semi-structured interviews | Grounded theory | – |
Siu et al. [30] | Qualitative descriptive study | Purposive sample | 35 women with SUI who aged between 39 to 74 years old with a mean age of 51.26 | PFMT | Semi-structured face-to-face interviews | Content analysis | The rigour in qualitative research followed the techniques suggested by Tuckett |
Storey et al. [17] | Interpretative narrative inquiry | Purposive sampling | 11 women with UI and/or POP who were over 65 years old and retired and came from both rural and urban areas | Pessaries | Semi-structured face-to-face interviews | Narrative analysis | Trustworthiness, an audit trail of researcher field notes and reflexive texts, documenting decision-making, biases and analytical choices |
Terry et al. [28] | Ethnographic approach | Unknown | 15 pregnant women and 12 of these women postnatally | PFMT | Observations, interviews, field conversations, comprehensive field notes and semi-structured interviews | Thematic analysis |