Knowledge, attitude and practice towards pelvic floor muscle training among childbearing women

Arch Ital Urol Androl. 2023 May 29;95(2):11298. doi: 10.4081/aiua.2023.11298.

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to identify knowledge, attitude, and practice of pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) and to identify the prevalence of urinary incontinence.

Materials and methods: The method used was a cross-sectional study. Self-administered knowledge, attitude, and practice questionnaires were distributed among childbearing women attending Maternal & Child Health Clinics in the East Coast region of Malaysia.

Results: The findings revealed that most respondents (N = 896) had good or moderate knowledge (80.1%) and attitudes (77.3%) regarding PFMT but most of them (87.2%) still lacked practice. However, there was no association between urinary incontinence and PFMT practice. On the contrary, married women showed a higher risk of urinary incontinence.

Conclusions: The practice of pelvic floor muscle training should be recommended and emphasized to childbearing women by healthcare professionals.

MeSH terms

  • Child
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Exercise Therapy / methods
  • Female
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
  • Humans
  • Pelvic Floor
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Urinary Incontinence* / epidemiology
  • Urinary Incontinence* / therapy
  • Urinary Incontinence, Stress*