Abstract
We sought to investigate whether women present adequate knowledge of the main pelvic floor disorders (PFDs) (urinary incontinence - UI, fecal incontinence - FI, and pelvic organ prolapse - POP). A systematic review was performed in the MEDLINE, PEDro, CENTRAL, and Cochrane databases for publications from inception to April 2018. A total of 3,125 studies were reviewed. Meta-analysis was not possible due to the heterogeneity of primary outcomes and the diversity of instruments for measuring knowledge. The quality of the articles included in the analysis was evaluated with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) adapted for cross-sectional studies. Two authors performed data extraction into a standardized spreadsheet. Nineteen studies were included, comprising 11,512 women. About the methodological quality (NOS), most of the studies (n = 11) presented a total score of 6 out of 10. Validated questionnaires and designed pilot-tested forms were the most frequently used ways of assessing knowledge. Some studies were stratified by race, age, or group minorities. The most used questionnaire was the prolapse and incontinence knowledge questionnaire (PIKQ) (n = 5). Knowledge and/or awareness regarding PFD was low to moderate among the studies. Urinary incontinence was the most prevalent PFD investigated, and the most important risk factors associated with the lack of knowledge of the pelvic floor were: African-American ethnicity (n = 3), low educational level (n = 4), low access to information (n = 5) and socioeconomic status (n = 3). Most women have a gap in the knowledge of pelvic floor muscle dysfunctions, do not understand their treatment options, and are not able to identify risk factors for these disorders.
Highlights
Pelvic floor muscle (PFM) dysfunctions have a negative impact in the quality of life of many women
Database searches identified a total of 3,125 studies with no duplicates, and after excluding title and abstract, 68 studies remained for screening
The maximum score obtained by the studies in the present review was 7 (n 1⁄4 4), 3 studies were classified with score 5, and only 1 article with a score of 3 (►Table 2)
Summary
Pelvic floor muscle (PFM) dysfunctions have a negative impact in the quality of life of many women. Pelvic floor muscle treatment (PFMT), bladder training, and other conservative approaches are considered the first line of treatment for women who suffer PFM dysfunctions. Many of these women do not have information or knowledge regarding conservative treatment for PFM disorders.. Our study aimed to perform a systematic review of women’s knowledge about the pelvic floor structures (muscles, ligaments, organs), its functions, dysfunctions, and possible conservative treatments for each disorder by measurement through surveys, questionnaires, or any available instrument within the literature This increases the chances of successful therapy, changes in life habits, and reductions on disease’s symptoma. our study aimed to perform a systematic review of women’s knowledge about the pelvic floor structures (muscles, ligaments, organs), its functions, dysfunctions, and possible conservative treatments for each disorder by measurement through surveys, questionnaires, or any available instrument within the literature
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