Women’s pelvic floor muscle strength and urinary and anal incontinence after childbirth: a cross-sectional study

Abstract OBJECTIVE To analyse pelvic floor muscle strength (PFMS) and urinary and anal incontinence (UI and AI) in the postpartum period. METHOD Cross-sectional study carried out with women in their first seven months after child birth. Data were collected through interviews, perineometry (Peritron™), and the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-SF). RESULTS 128 women participated in the study. The PFMS mean was 33.1 (SD=16.0) cmH2O and the prevalence of UI and AI was 7.8% and 5.5%, respectively. In the multiple analyses, the variables associated with PFMS were type of birth and cohabitation with a partner. Newborn’s weight, previous pregnancy, UI during pregnancy, and sexual activity showed an association with UI after child birth. Only AI prior to pregnancy was associated with AI after childbirth. CONCLUSION Vaginal birth predisposes to the reduction of PFMS, and caesarean section had a protective effect to its reduction. The occurrence of UI during pregnancy is a predictor of UI after childbirth, and women with previous pregnancies and newborns with higher weights are more likely to have UI after childbirth.AI prior to pregnancy is the only risk factor for its occurrence after childbirth. Associations between PFMS and cohabitation with a partner, and between UI and sexual activity do not make possible to conclude that these variables are directly associated

Urinary incontinence related to perineal muscle strength in the first trimester of pregnancy: cross-sectional study

Objective To analyze pelvic floor muscle strength (PFMS), urinary continence and quality of life related to urinary incontinence (UI) of women in the first trimester of pregnancy. Method Cross-sectional study with a sample of 500 women who started prenatal care in a complementary healthcare facility in Guarulhos, state of São Paulo, from 2012 and 2013. Pelvic floor muscle strength was evaluated through perineometry. The pregnant women who presented UI answered the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-SF). Results It was found that maternal age (OR=1.06; CI95% 1.02-1.11) and prior UI (OR=15.12; 95%CI 8.19-27.92) are the variables that, in tandem, best explain the occurrence of UI at the beginning of pregnancy. The mean score on the ICIQ-SF was 8.2 (SD=3.9), considered a moderate impact on quality of life. Conclusion Older pregnant women with prior UI are more likely to have UI in the first trimester of pregnancy.
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Queixa de perda urinária: um problema silente pelas mulheres Queja de pérdida urinaria: un problema silencioso para las mujeres Complaint of urinary loss: a silent woman's problem

O estudo buscou analisar a prevalência e interferência da incontinência urinária sobre a vida diária de mulheres de um Centro de Saúde em Fortaleza, Ceará. Estudo transversal, analítico e quantitativo na população (168) que realizou consulta para Hipertensão e/ou Diabetes em setembro de 2009. A coleta de dados ocorreu através de entrevista e aplicação do "International Consultationon Incontinence Questionnaire". Para análise inferencial utilizou-se testes qui-quadrado e exato de Fisher. Da análise amostral (59), resultaram mulheres: com idade entre 42 e 59 anos (52,5%), baixa escolaridade (55,9%), sem companheiro (57,6%), aposentada (50,8%), não fumantes (81,4%) e peso aumentado (71,2%). Apenas escolaridade associou-se à incontinência. A prevalência foi 61,0%. Para 55,5% das incontinentes, perder urina interfere de forma grave ou muito grave em sua vida diária. A perda urinária ocorreu ao tossir ou espirrar (72,2%) e antes de chegar ao banheiro (61,1%). A incontinência urinária apresentou alta prevalência, interferindo negativamente na vida das mulheres.<br>El estudio buscó analizar la prevalencia e interferencia de la incontinencia urinaria en la vida diaria de las mujeres de un Centro de Salud en Fortaleza, Ceará, Brasil. Estudio transversal, analítico y cuantitativo en la población (168) que realizó consulta para Hipertensión y/o Diabetes en septiembre de 2009. La recolecta de datos se realizó mediante entrevista y aplicación del "International Consultationon Incontinence Questionnaire". Para análisis inferencial se utilizaron los test qui-cuadrado y exacto de Fisher. En el análisis de la muestra (59), fueron mujeres: con edad entre 42 y 59 años (52,5%), baja escolaridad (55,9%), sin compañero (57,6%), jubiladas (50,8%), no fumadoras (81,4%) y con sobrepeso (71,2%). Solamente escolaridad se asoció a incontinencia. La prevalencia fue 61,0%. Para 55,5% de las incontinentes, perder orina interfiere de forma grave o muy grave en su vida diaria. La pérdida urinaria ocurrió al toser o estornudar (72,2%) y antes de llegar al lavabo (61,1%). La incontinencia urinaria presentó alta prevalencia, interfiriendo negativamente en la vida de las mujeres<br>This study investigates the prevalence of urinary incontinence and how it interferes in the daily life of women from a health center in the city of Fortaleza, state of Ceará, Brazil. This is a cross-sectional, analytical and quantitative study. The studied population was of 168 women who had appointments for hypertension and / or diabetes in September 2009. The data was collected through interviews and the application of the "International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire." For inferential analysis, we used chi-square and Fisher's exact test. Women from the analysis sample (59) were: aged between 42 and 59 years (52.5%), low educational level (55.9%), without a partner (57.6%), retired (50.8%), nonsmokers (81.4%) and overweight (71.2%). Only the low educational level was associated with incontinence. Prevalence was of 61.0%. For 55,5% of incontinents, losing urine intervenes in a grave or very grave way with their daily life. The urinary loss occurred while coughing or sneezing (72.2%) and before arriving at the bathroom (61.1%). The urinary incontinence presented a high prevalence, intervening negatively with these women's lifes