Hypothesis / aims of study
Pelvic floor disorders such as incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse are common health problems in females, They are ignored by a large number of people, students and healthcare staff as well. We hypothesized that knowledge of urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and patient information-seeking preferences are the same in educated and non educated women in a big hospital. In this study we try to determine the prevalence of pelvic floor disorders and compare awareness knowledge of women about pelvic floor disorders with and without health literacy.
Study design, materials and methods
This was a cross-sectional survey of students and healthcare staff in university and its hospital. Enrolled participants completed a survey including demographics, history of incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse symptoms, Pelvic Organ Prolapse Distress Inventory (POPDI), Colorectal-anal Distress Inventory (CRADI), urinary distress inventory (UDI), Prolapse and Incontinence Knowledge Questionnaire (PIKQ). One way ANOVA was used for comparisons of continuous variables. Chi-square test was used to compare the proportion of categorical variables.
Interpretation of results
Women with higher education have more pelvic organ prolapse and incontinence awareness.