Do Women have Adequate Knowledge about Pelvic Floor Dysfunctions? A Systematic Review

 

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Abstract

Objective 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).

Data sources A systematic review was performed in the MEDLINE, PEDro, CENTRAL, and Cochrane databases for publications from inception to April 2018.

Selection of studies 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.

Data collection Two authors performed data extraction into a standardized spreadsheet.

Data synthesis 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).

Conclusion 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.

Resumo

Objetivos Nós investigamos se as mulheres possuem adequado nível de conhecimento sobre as principais disfunções do assoalho pélvico (incontinência urinária – IU, incontinência fecal – IF, e prolapso de órgãos pélvicos – POP).

Fontes de dados Uma revisão sistemática foi realizada nas bases de dados MEDLINE, PEDro, CENTRAL e Cochrane com publicações até abril de 2018.

Seleção dos estudos Foram triados 3.125 estudos. A metanálise não foi possível devido a heterogeneidade dos desfechos analisados e a diversidade de instrumentos para aferir o conhecimento. A qualidade dos artigos incluídos na análise foi avaliada pela escala de Newcastle-Ottawa (NOS) adaptada para estudos transversais.

Extração de dados Dois autores fizeram a extração em uma planilha previamente testada.

Síntese de dados Dezenove estudos foram incluídos, totalizando 11.512 mulheres. A NOS apresentou um score de 6 (total = 10) na maioria dos estudos (n = 11). Para a avaliação do conhecimento do assoalho pélvico, questionários validados e testados de forma piloto foram empregados. Alguns estudos foram estratificados segundo raça, idade, ou minorias. Encontrou-se baixo a moderado nível de conhecimento e/ou percepção sobre as disfunções do assoalho pélvico. O mais usado foi o prolapse and incontinence knowledge questionnaire (PIKQ) (n = 5). A IU foi a disfunção pélvica mais investigada, e os fatores de risco mais importantes associados com a falta de conhecimento foram: etnicidade afro-americana (n = 3), nível baixo educacional (n = 5), baixo acesso a informação (n = 5), e status socioeconômico (n = 3).

Conclusão A maioria das mulheres leigas tem uma lacuna de conhecimento sobre as disfunções do assoalho pélvico, baixo conhecimento sobre opções de tratamento e sobre os fatores de risco para essas disfunções.

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