A patient asks about treatment for stress urinary incontinence. Which is the nurse’s best response?

Choice A reason: Pelvic floor muscle exercises (Kegels) strengthen the pelvic floor and urethral sphincter, improving bladder control in stress incontinence. By enhancing muscle support, they reduce urine leakage during activities like coughing, making them a first-line, evidence-based treatment for this condition, promoting long-term continence. Choice B reason: Avoiding frequent voiding is not a treatment for stress incontinence. It may help urge incontinence by training the bladder to hold more urine, but stress incontinence results from physical pressure, not bladder overactivity, making this advice irrelevant and potentially worsening symptoms. Choice C reason: Wearing an adult diaper manages symptoms but doesn’t treat stress incontinence. It provides temporary protection but doesn’t address the underlying pelvic floor weakness. Relying on diapers may reduce quality of life and delay effective treatments like exercises or surgical options. Choice D reason: Drinking cranberry juice is not a treatment for stress incontinence. It may help prevent urinary tract infections by inhibiting bacterial adhesion, but stress incontinence is a mechanical issue from pelvic floor dysfunction, not infection, making this irrelevant to the condition’s management.