. 2022 Dec 10;11(24):7344.

doi: 10.3390/jcm11247344.

Impact of Urinary Incontinence on Physical Function and Respiratory Muscle Strength in Incontinent Women: A Comparative Study between Urinary Incontinent and Apparently Healthy Women

Sirine Abidi¹, Amine Ghram^{2

3

4}, Sameh Ghroubi⁵, Said Ahmaidi⁶, Mohamed Habib Elleuch⁵, Olivier Girard⁷, Theodoros Papasavvas⁸, Jari Laukkanen^{9

10

11}, Helmi Ben Saad^{2

12}, Beat Knechtle^{13

14}, Katja Weiss¹⁴, Mehdi Chlif^{6

15}

Affiliations

¹ Research Laboratory Education, Motricity, Sport and Health LR19JS01, High Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax 3000, Tunisia.
² Research Laboratory "Heart Failure, LR12SP09", Hospital Farhat HACHED of Sousse, Sousse 4031, Tunisia.
³ Department of Pneumology, Principal Military Hospital of Instruction of Tunis, Tunis 1008, Tunisia.
⁴ Healthy Living for Pandemic Event Protection (Hl-Pivot) Network, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
⁵ Research Laboratory: Evaluation and Management of Musculoskeletal System Pathologies, LR20ES09, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sfax, Sfax 3029, Tunisia.
⁶ EA 3300, Exercise Physiology and Rehabilitation Laboratory, Sport Sciences Department, Picardie Jules Verne University, F-80025 Amiens, France.
⁷ School of Human Sciences (Exercise and Sport Science), University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia.
⁸ Department of Cardiac Rehabilitation, Heart Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha 3050, Qatar.
⁹ Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland.
¹⁰ Department of Internal Medicine, Central Finland Healthcare District, FI-40530 Jyväskylä, Finland.
¹¹ Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, FI-70029 Kuopio, Finland.
¹² Laboratory of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine of Sousse, University of Sousse, Sousse 4002, Tunisia.
¹³ Medbase St. Gallen Am Vadianplatz, 9100 St. Gallen, Switzerland.
¹⁴ Institute of Primary Care, University of Zurich, 8006 Zurich, Switzerland.
¹⁵ National Center of Medicine and Science in Sports (NCMSS), Tunisian Research Laboratory Sports Performance Optimization, Ave Med Ali Akid, El Menzah, Tunis 263, Tunisia.

PMID: 36555959
PMCID: PMC9788047
DOI: 10.3390/jcm11247344

Impact of Urinary Incontinence on Physical Function and Respiratory Muscle Strength in Incontinent Women: A Comparative Study between Urinary Incontinent and Apparently Healthy Women

Sirine Abidi et al. J Clin Med. 2022.

. 2022 Dec 10;11(24):7344.

doi: 10.3390/jcm11247344.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Research Laboratory Education, Motricity, Sport and Health LR19JS01, High Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Sfax, University of Sfax, Sfax 3000, Tunisia.
² Research Laboratory "Heart Failure, LR12SP09", Hospital Farhat HACHED of Sousse, Sousse 4031, Tunisia.
³ Department of Pneumology, Principal Military Hospital of Instruction of Tunis, Tunis 1008, Tunisia.
⁴ Healthy Living for Pandemic Event Protection (Hl-Pivot) Network, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
⁵ Research Laboratory: Evaluation and Management of Musculoskeletal System Pathologies, LR20ES09, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sfax, Sfax 3029, Tunisia.
⁶ EA 3300, Exercise Physiology and Rehabilitation Laboratory, Sport Sciences Department, Picardie Jules Verne University, F-80025 Amiens, France.
⁷ School of Human Sciences (Exercise and Sport Science), University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia.
⁸ Department of Cardiac Rehabilitation, Heart Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha 3050, Qatar.
⁹ Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, FI-40014 Jyväskylä, Finland.
¹⁰ Department of Internal Medicine, Central Finland Healthcare District, FI-40530 Jyväskylä, Finland.
¹¹ Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, FI-70029 Kuopio, Finland.
¹² Laboratory of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine of Sousse, University of Sousse, Sousse 4002, Tunisia.
¹³ Medbase St. Gallen Am Vadianplatz, 9100 St. Gallen, Switzerland.
¹⁴ Institute of Primary Care, University of Zurich, 8006 Zurich, Switzerland.
¹⁵ National Center of Medicine and Science in Sports (NCMSS), Tunisian Research Laboratory Sports Performance Optimization, Ave Med Ali Akid, El Menzah, Tunis 263, Tunisia.

PMID: 36555959
PMCID: PMC9788047
DOI: 10.3390/jcm11247344

Abstract

Patients with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) may be afraid to increase intra-abdominal pressure to avoid incontinence. This could lead to weak expiratory muscles. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between respiratory muscle strength, physical function, and SUI in patients with SUI. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Physical Medicine and Functional Rehabilitation Department. Thirty-one incontinent women (IG) and twenty-nine women in a control group (CG) were enrolled in this study. Anthropometric data, respiratory muscle strength (maximal inspiratory pressure; maximal expiratory pressure), SUI (Urogenital Distress Inventory-6; Incontinence Impact Questionnaire-7; Pad test), and physical function (waist circumference; timed-up-and-go test; abdominal muscle strength) were assessed. Body fat, body mass index, body weight, and waist circumference were higher in IG than CG (p < 0.01), while postural gait and abdominal muscles were lower (p < 0.001). Respiratory muscle strength displayed moderate correlations with SUI severity, especially for maximal expiratory pressure (p < 0.01). Maximal expiratory pressure was moderately associated with physical function. Deterioration in respiratory muscle strength is a characteristic of women with SUI. In this population, pelvic floor muscle training may be prescribed to improve continence. By feeling more confident about increasing intra-abdominal pressure, women with SUI would strengthen their expiratory muscles and eventually improve their physical function.

Keywords: abdominal muscles; pelvic floor disorders; respiratory function tests; respiratory muscle.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Impact of Urinary Incontinence on Physical Function and Respiratory Muscle Strength in Incontinent Women: A Comparative Study between Urinary Incontinent and Apparently Healthy Women

Affiliations

Impact of Urinary Incontinence on Physical Function and Respiratory Muscle Strength in Incontinent Women: A Comparative Study between Urinary Incontinent and Apparently Healthy Women

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Abstract

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