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. 2025 Feb;16(1):317-323.
doi: 10.1007/s41999-024-01083-x. Epub 2024 Nov 3.

Knowledge of pelvic floor muscles in community-dwelling women aged over 60: its relationship with urinary incontinence

Yeşim Akkoç  1 , Necmettin Yıldız  2 , Bilge Yılmaz  3 , Murat Ersöz  4 , Ayşe Nur Bardak  5 , Belgin Erhan  6 , Kurtuluş Köklü  3 , Hakan Tunç  7 , Nurdan Paker  5 , Aysun Özlü  8 , Selcen Kanyilmaz  9 , Engin Koyuncu  3 , Ebru Alemdaroğlu  7 , Hakan Alkan  2 , Yasemin Yumuşakhuylu  6 , Esra Cansu Selbes  1 , Ezgi Yıldız  1 , Nurdan Korkmaz  3 , Zuhal Özişler  7 , Gökhan Yardımcı  3 , Meltem Güneş Akıncı  7 , Saadet Nur Sena Öztekin  2 , Tuğçe Aksungur  5 , Ahmet Tarık Canbulat  7
Affiliations

Knowledge of pelvic floor muscles in community-dwelling women aged over 60: its relationship with urinary incontinence

Yeşim Akkoç et al. Eur Geriatr Med. 2025 Feb.

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the awareness of the pelvic floor muscles (PFMs) and PFM exercises (PFME) knowledge, training and experience in community-dwelling women aged 60 and over and its relationship with urinary incontinence (UI).

Methods: This is a questionnaire based study which was carried out in 9 Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Centers, including a total of 500 women aged 60 and over and living in the community. The questionnaire included questions about awareness of PFMs, UI complaints and PFME knowledge, training and experience. Knowledge and awareness of PFMs and PFME knowledge, training and experience were compared in subgroups with or without urinary incontinence.

Results: The mean age of the women included in the study was 67.8 ± 6.1 (60-88). Knowledge and awareness of PFMs and PFME knowledge, training and experience were low in the study population. Knowledge and awareness of PFMs were significantly low in the subgroup with urinary incontinence (p < 0.05). Kegel exercise training and experience were significantly low in the subgroup without urinary incontinence (p = 0.01, p < 0.01).

Conclusion: Knowledge and awareness of PFMs and PFME knowledge, training and experience are low in community-dwelling women aged 60 and over and training programs should be organized to teach the function of the PFMs and to perform PFME correctly in this population.

Keywords: Awareness; Female; Knowledge; Pelvic floor muscle exercises; Pelvic floor muscles; Urinary incontinence.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Conflict of interest: On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest. The authors have no competing interests to declare that are relevant to the content of this article.The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose. Ethical approval: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Ege University Medical Faculty. Informed consent: All respondents provided written informed consent before completing the survey.

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