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M. Vieira Cunha Rudge1, A. M. P. Barbosa1,2, L. F. Iamundo2, C. B. Prudencio1, P. Rocha Júnior3
1Botucatu Medical School (FMB), São Paulo State University (UNESP), Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Botucatu, Brazil, 2School of Philosophy and Sciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Department of Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy, Marilia, Brazil, 3Adamantina University Center (UniFAI), Departments of Biologicals Science and of Medicine, Adamantina, Brazil
Background: Pelvic dysfunction can negatively impact the quality of life of women at all ages, resulting in a reduction in their physical and emotional well-being. Major dysfunctions include urinary incontinence, anal incontinence, sexual dysfunctions.
Purpose: We aimed to evaluate prevalence of complaints of pelvic dysfunction in Brazilian university students.
Methods: It is a cross-sectional study, approved by the research ethics committee, protocol nº 1918/2009 of the Faculty of Philosophy and Sciences of Marília, São Paulo, Brazil. University students from public and private Universities, in geographically disparate areas of a Brazilian county participated in the study. All participants over the age of 18 signed the consent form. Data collection was carried out online through a questionnaire created in the Google Forms tool and disseminated through social media. It was composed of questions with multiple choice answers with themes on urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence and sexual dysfunctions. The data were presented in categorical data were expressed as absolute frequency and percentage.
Results: 564 female university students with an average age of 21±6 years answered the online questionnaire, 64% (n=362) were enrolled in courses in Health Sciences and 36% (n=202) were in other areas of knowledge. Regarding complaints, 17.6% (n=99) reported having Urinary Incontinence and 3.5% (n=20) Fecal Incontinence. About Vaginismus, 5% (n=28) reported having already been unable to perform penetration during sexual intercourse. Another significant finding was that 27% (n=153) reported feeling pain or discomfort during penetration, suggesting Dyspareunia.
Conclusion(s): The high prevalence of Urinary Incontinence and Dyspareunia in Female University Students was observed in this study. Health actions for the prevention and treatment of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction must be formulated.
Implications: This study demonstrated that there is a significant prevalence of urinary and fecal incontinence and vaginismus, however the prevalence of dyspareunia complaints is very significant. These complaints can have a very negative impact on the woman's life and generate costs for the public health system and for the woman herself. These results support the need for educational, preventive and therapeutic proposals on the temathic of pelvic dysfunction with the population analyzed.
Funding, acknowledgements: None
Keywords: Pelvic Floor Dysfunction, Knowledge, University Student
Topic: Pelvic, sexual and reproductive health
Did this work require ethics approval? Yes
Institution: São Paulo State University (UNESP), Marilia, São Paulo State, Brazil
Committee: Faculty of Philosophy and Sciences of Marília
Ethics number: 1918/2009
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
