Psychometric properties and feasibility of three scales assessing the level of knowledge and awareness about pelvic floor health.

OBJECTIVE: Despite high prevalence and burden of pelvic floor dysfunctions (PFD), there is a limited number of scales assessing knowledge of pelvic floor health (PFH), and no studies comparing their psychometric or feasibility properties. The study aimed both to investigate the psychometric properties and feasibility of Incontinence Quiz (IQ), Prolapse and Incontinence Knowledge Questionnaire (PIKQ) and Pelvic Floor Health Knowledge Questionnaire (PFHKQ), and to compare level of PFH knowledge in women with and without PFD. STUDY DESIGN: In this prospective cross-sectional study, a total of 150 women were included. After recording physical-sociodemographic characteristics, obstetric histories and menstrual status, Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory-20 and Female Sexual Function Index were administered to classify them into study groups as women with and without PFD. Their PFH knowledge was assessed using IQ, PIKQ and PFHKQ, which were filled twice with one week interval for the test-retest purpose. The scores, reliability, validity, ceiling-floor effects and feasibility of the knowledge scales were compared with each other, and between the study groups. RESULTS: IQ, PIKQ, and PFHKQ scores of women with and without PFD were similar. Based on response patterns to items, PFHKQ had the highest internal consistency followed by PIKQ and IQ. The PIKQ was the most stable scale across the total sample and in the PFD group. The PFHKQ had the highest ICC value in women without PFD. There was a strong correlation between the total scores of knowledge scales in both groups. Scores of knowledge and symptom scales were not significantly correlated. IQ was completed in the shortest time, and was easier to complete than PFHKQ. Only the diagnosis/treatment subscale of PFHKQ had a ceiling effect. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that PFH knowledge of women with and without PFD were at a low-moderate level and similar to each other; IQ, PIKQ and PFHKQ were reliable, valid and feasible scales, which can be used in measuring knowledge level about PFH.

Reliability and Validation of the PFIQ-7 and PFDI-20 in the Luganda Language.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Pelvic floor disorders (PFDs) impact women worldwide and are assessed using instruments such as the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory (PFDI-20) and Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire (PFIQ-7). There are no known valid PFD instruments in Uganda. This study's purpose was to translate and test the reliability and validity of the PFDI-20 and PFIQ-7 in Luganda. It was predicted that these instruments would be reliable and valid to assess the presence and impact of PFD in parous Luganda-speaking women. METHODS: The translated PFDI-20 and PFIQ-7 were administered to parous Luganda-speaking women and readministered 4-8 months after. The Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification (POP-Q) examination determined the presence of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and a cough-stress test (CST) measured urinary leakage. Analysis was completed using Cronbach's α co-efficient for internal consistency and Spearman's correlation coefficients and Wilcoxon rank sum tests for construct validity. RESULTS: Of the 159 participants, 93 (58.3%) had stage II POP or higher. The PFDI-20 and PFIQ-7 demonstrated minimal bother and impact on activities of daily living respectively. The Urinary Distress Inventory 6 (UDI-6) scores on the PFDI-20 showed a strong positive association with the presence of urinary incontinence. When PFD was defined by responses to symptom assessment, the translated PFDI-20 and PFIQ-7 could differentiate between individuals with and without PFD. CONCLUSIONS: The UDI-6 section of the PFDI-20 was found to be valid in Luganda. The PFIQ-7 and the entirety of the PFDI-20 were not found to be reliable or valid, likely because of the low prevalence of PFDs in the study population.

Translation, Cross-Cultural Adaptation, and Validation of Indonesian Version of Australian Pelvic Floor Questionnaire: An Interviewer-Administered Female Pelvic Floor Questionnaire.

AIM: To adapt and determine the validity and reliability of the Indonesian version of the Australian Pelvic Floor Questionnaire (APFQ). METHODS: The original APFQ was translated and validated to obtain an Indonesian, physician-administered version on 41 urogynecology patients and 41 age-matched women without pelvic floor dysfunction. RESULTS: Missing answers never exceeded 2%. The questionnaire can significantly discriminate between pelvic floor dysfunction patients and those without dysfunctions. The results of each domain of the questionnaire correlated with clinical examinations and another questionnaire. Cronbach's alpha scores of all domains were 0.859 for bladder function, 0.829 for bowel function, 0.892 for prolapse symptoms, and 0.766 for sexual function. CONCLUSION: The Indonesian version of the Australian Pelvic Floor Questionnaire (APFQ) is a valid and reliable questionnaire for assessing pelvic floor symptoms among women in Indonesia.

Technologies for Evaluation of Pelvic Floor Functionality: A Systematic Review.

Pelvic floor dysfunction is a common problem in women and has a negative impact on their quality of life. The aim of this review was to provide a general overview of the current state of technology used to assess pelvic floor functionality. It also provides literature research of the physiological and anatomical factors that correlate with pelvic floor health. This systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines. The PubMed, ScienceDirect, Cochrane Library, and IEEE databases were searched for publications on sensor technology for the assessment of pelvic floor functionality. Anatomical and physiological parameters were identified through a manual search. In the systematic review, 114 publications were included. Twelve different sensor technologies were identified. Information on the obtained parameters, sensor position, test activities, and subject characteristics was prepared in tabular form from each publication. A total of 16 anatomical and physiological parameters influencing pelvic floor health were identified in 17 published studies and ranked for their statistical significance. Taken together, this review could serve as a basis for the development of novel sensors which could allow for quantifiable prevention and diagnosis, as well as particularized documentation of rehabilitation processes related to pelvic floor dysfunctions.

Current Status and Role of Artificial Intelligence in Anorectal Diseases and Pelvic Floor Disorders.

Background: Anorectal diseases and pelvic floor disorders are prevalent among the general population. Patients may present with overlapping symptoms, delaying diagnosis, and lowering quality of life. Treating physicians encounter numerous challenges attributed to the complex nature of pelvic anatomy, limitations of diagnostic techniques, and lack of available resources. This article is an overview of the current state of artificial intelligence (AI) in tackling the difficulties of managing benign anorectal disorders and pelvic floor disorders. Methods: A systematic literature review was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. We searched the PubMed database to identify all potentially relevant studies published from January 2000 to August 2023. Search queries were built using the following terms: AI, machine learning, deep learning, benign anorectal disease, pelvic floor disorder, fecal incontinence, obstructive defecation, anal fistula, rectal prolapse, and anorectal manometry. Malignant anorectal articles and abstracts were excluded. Data from selected articles were analyzed. Results: 139 articles were found, 15 of which met our inclusion and exclusion criteria. The most common AI module was convolutional neural network. researchers were able to develop AI modules to optimize imaging studies for pelvis, fistula, and abscess anatomy, facilitated anorectal manometry interpretation, and improved high-definition anoscope use. None of the modules were validated in an external cohort. Conclusion: There is potential for AI to enhance the management of pelvic floor and benign anorectal diseases. Ongoing research necessitates the use of multidisciplinary approaches and collaboration between physicians and AI programmers to tackle pressing challenges.

Pelvic floor muscle training patient reported Outcome Measures (PROM) (PFMT-P): Turkish adaptation and its validity and relibiality.

OBJECTIVE: Although there are several patient reported outcome measures (PROM) regarding knowledge, source of knowledge and practice about pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT), there is a lack of a valid and reliable PROM that includes the practice component of PFMT along with knowledge and source of knowledge. There is no valid and reliable measurement tool in Turkish used for this purpose. In this context, the aim of our study is to evaluate the psychometric properties of Pelvic Floor Muscle Training Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROM) (PFMT-P) and to test whether it is a valid and reliable measurement tool for Turkish women. STUDY DESIGN: This study has been carried out psychometric testing (validity and reliability) of a new assessment tool concerning PFMT-P. A total of 170 female healthcare professionals (midwives, nurses, doctors, physiotherapists) who were between the ages of 23 and 49 and who volunteered to participate were included in the study. SPSS 25.0 and LISREL 8.80 statistical programs were used for the analysis of data. Descriptive statistics were evaluated with numbers, percentages and means. Content validity index and confirmatory factor analysis were used for validity. Cronbach Alpha value and test-retest were used for reliability. Level of significance was p < 0.05. RESULTS: Content validity index (CVI) was found to be 0.96 for the overall scale. Model fit indices were found as perfect and good matched. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was found as 0.813 for the overall scale. Test-retest correlation was found as 0.658, it was 0.998 for practice component and 0.997 for source of knowledge component and a positive, significant and high correlation was found. CONCLUSIONS: It has been determined that PFMT-P is a valid and reliable measurement tool suitable for Turkish culture. With this, it is a short, comprehensive and useful tool that can be used in both pregnancy and the postpartum period for women of reproductive age or menopause.

Translation and validation of the international consultation on incontinence questionnaire-Bowel in Danish men and women with pelvic floor disorders.

BACKGROUND: We lack a comprehensive validated Danish questionnaire to evaluate symptoms and bother regarding anal incontinence (AI). The International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Bowel (ICIQ-B) is an internationally recommended questionnaire containing 21 items, of which 17 are scored in three subscales: bowel pattern, bowel control, and quality of life. AIMS: To translate the ICIQ-B into Danish and to validate the Danish version in pelvic floor disorder (PFD) patients with and without AI. METHODS: The ICIQ-B was translated by a panel of healthcare professionals followed by cognitive interviews with PFD patients attending an outpatient clinic. Revisions were undertaken using an iterative process, and a backward translation was performed for the final version. Pretesting and test-retest of the ICIQ-B were done online and administrated together with the St. Mark's score. Content, structural, convergent and discriminant validity were assessed, followed by an evaluation of relative and absolute reliability, including the smallest real difference (SRD). RESULTS: Thirty cognitive patient interviews were performed, resulting in three revisions. The Danish ICIQ-B was found to be comprehensible and relevant but lacked items addressing the psychological impact of bowel problems. The ICIQ-B was completed online by 227 PFD patients with and without AI. The structural validity of the bowel pattern subscale could not be retrieved. Patients indicating AI had significantly higher ICIQ-B and St. Mark's scores than patients without AI, and ICIQ-B subscale scores correlated moderately with St. Mark's scores. Internal consistency was good except for the bowel pattern subscale. Seventy-six patients completed test-retest. Relative reliability was excellent for subscale scores and moderate or good for single items except for the item concerning stool consistency, which was weak. The SRD was found to be 2.8 for the bowel pattern subscale, 4.3 for bowel control subscale, and 3.6 for the quality-of-life subscale. CONCLUSION: The Danish version of the ICIQ-B can be used for Danish patients with PFD, and discriminant validity is good. The structural validity and the internal consistency of the bowel pattern subscale are questionable, indicating that some items do not represent the underlying construct. Test-retest reliability of the ICIQ-B is acceptable, but the change needed to reflect a real change above the measurement error in each subscale is three to four points.

Primary care providers practice patterns regarding female pelvic floor disorders.

INTRODUCTION: Pelvic floor disorders (PFDs) pose substantial physical and psychological burdens for a growing number of women. Given the ubiquity of these conditions and known patient reluctance to seek care, primary care providers (PCPs) have a unique opportunity to increase treatment and provide appropriate referrals for these patients. METHODS: An online survey was administered to PCPs to assess provider practices, knowledge, comfort managing and ease of referral for PFDs. Logistic regression was used to assess the association between demographic/practice characteristics of PCPs and two primary outcomes of interest: discomfort with management and difficulty with referral of PFDs. RESULTS: Of the 153 respondents to the survey, more felt comfortable managing stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and overactive bladder (OAB), compared with pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and faecal incontinence (FI) and were less likely to refer patients with urinary symptoms. Few providers elicited symptoms for POP and FI as compared with SUI and OAB. Provider variables that were significantly associated with discomfort with management varied by PFD, but tended to correlate with less exposure to PFDs (eg, those with fewer years of practice, and internal medicine and family physicians as compared with geriatricians); whereas the factors that were significantly associated with difficulty in referral, again varied by PFD, but were related to practice characteristics (eg, specialist network, type of practice, practice setting and quantity of patients). CONCLUSION: These findings highlight the need to increase PCPs awareness of PFDs and develop effective standardised screening protocols, as well as collaboration with pelvic floor specialists to improve screening, treatment and referral for patients with PFDs.

Botulinum-toxin-A injection following conservative management in patients with dyssynergic defaecation only improves symptoms in the short term: a retrospective study

Objective: Dyssynergic defaecation (DD) is an important cause of chronic constipation. In patients where conservative treatments fail, injections of botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) into the puborectalis and anal sphincter muscles can be effective. Complications of this procedure are reported to be rare and generally mild. This study aimed to identify the complication rates and short- to medium-term success rates of BTX-A injections as a treatment for DD. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted on patients diagnosed with DD who had undergone BTX-A injections at a functional colorectal unit. Patient demographics, manometric assessment, conservative management, and injection technique were collected through a chart review. Subjective patient reports and comparison of pre- and postprocedure symptom scores were used to determine efficacy. Results: The 21 patients included (24 procedures, with 3 patients receiving BTX-A on two separate occasions) all received stool modification and dietary advice, and 20 patients underwent pelvic floor physiotherapy, averaging 8 sessions. The injections were universally applied under general anesthetic, primarily targeting the anal sphincter and/or puborectalis muscles. There were 6 reports of faecal urge/incontinence, with all but one being resolved within weeks. The BTX-A injection was subjectively reported as beneficial in 19 cases, averaging 4.7 months (range 1-32) of improvement. Only 2 were sustained beyond 12 months. Despite overall improvements in symptom scores from pre- to postprocedure, none were statistically significant. Conclusion: Following a course of conservative management, the BTX-A injection appears to be a safe treatment for DD, but only has short term efficacy. (AU)

Psychometric evaluation and cross-cultural adaptation of the Australian Pelvic Floor Questionnaire (APFQ-IR) in Iranian reproductive age women.

Pelvic floor disorders (PFDs), as a silent alert, is one of the pervasive debilitating health concerns among women all over the world, such that in developed countries, one in four women, suffers from PFDs. Validity and reliability of the Australian Pelvic Floor Questionnaire (APFQ) has not been determined in Iran, so to determine APFQ's psychometric characteristics, we decided to conduct this study on women of reproductive age in Tabriz city, Iran. This methodological cross-sectional study was intended to determine the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the APFQ-IR in 5 steps including "translation process, content validity, face validity, construct validity (exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and examination of ceiling and floor effects) and reliability" on 400 reproductive age women referring to health centers in Tabriz city, Iran, with cluster random sampling method in the period between May 2022 to September 2022. The translation process was done based on two approaches, Dual panel, and Beaton et al.'s five steps. Then, in order to evaluate content validity, face validity, and construct validity, 10 instrument and PFDs experts, 10 women from the target group investigated the instrument's items, and 400 eligible women completed the instrument. Finally, to determine the reliability, two internal consistency methods, (Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega) and test-retest method (ICC) were used. In the present study, content validity assessment of APFQ-IR, showed a good level of validity (CVR = 0.96, CVI = 0.94). To assess construct validity, exploratory factor analysis results on 36 items, led to the identification of 4 factors including bladder function, bowel function, prolapse symptom and sexual function, which explained 45.53% of the cumulative variance and indicated the sufficiency of the sample size (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin = 0.750). Implementing confirmatory factor analysis, (RMSEA = 0.08, SRMR = 0.08, TLI = 0.90, CFI = 0.93, χ2/df = 3.52) confirmed the model fit indices. Finally the internal consistency and reliability was high for the entire instrument (Cronbach's alpha = 0.85; McDonald's omega (95% CI) = 0.85 (0.83-0.87) and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (95% CI) = 0.88 (0.74-0.94)). The Persian version of the APFQ-IR, has a good validity and reliability and has acceptable psychometric properties, thus can be used both for research purposes and for clinical evaluation of pelvic floor disorders symptoms in health centers.

Pelvic Floor Health Index: Initial validation of a practical postpartum tool for busy clinicians.

OBJECTIVE: To design a primary care clinical tool (Pelvic Floor Health Index [PFHI]) to screen for postpartum pelvic floor disorders, as well as complete its psychometric validation. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Two tertiary care obstetric centres in Vancouver, BC. PARTICIPANTS: Primiparous women older than 19 years of age who were in the immediate postpartum period. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The PFHI was administered to 74 primiparous women immediately postpartum and at 2, 4, and 6 months postpartum. For evaluation of convergent and divergent construct validity, participants also completed several validated questionnaires, including the Female Sexual Functioning Index, the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory, the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey, and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. Fifteen women repeated their 6-month questionnaires 2 weeks later in order to determine test-retest reliability. Responsiveness was assessed by measuring the PFHI score change from baseline to 6 months postpartum. RESULTS: Pelvic Floor Health Index score was inversely correlated with subscale scores on the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory at all time points. There were moderate correlations between PFHI score and the Female Sexual Functioning Index and 36-Item Short Form Health Survey scores at several time points. There were weak correlations with postpartum depression scores. The intraclass correlation coefficient for test-retest reliability was 0.78 (95% CI 0.47 to 0.92). The PFHI mean total score significantly improved by 1.8 (95% CI 1.0 to 2.6) at 6 months postpartum. CONCLUSION: The PFHI is a 10-item, newly validated, and psychometrically robust questionnaire that can be administered to patients in the postpartum period to screen for pelvic floor dysfunction.

Translation and measurement properties of the pelvic floor distress inventory-short form (PFDI-20) in Iranian reproductive age women.

BACKGROUND: Every year, millions of women worldwide suffer in silence from pelvic floor disorders (PFDs) as an annoying health problem. Despite the high prevalence rate and negative effects of PFDs on the quality of life, the validity and reliability of pelvic floor distress inventory-short form (PFDI-20) has not been confirmed for Iranian women of reproductive age. Hence, this study aimed to determine measurement properties of PFDI-20 among women of reproductive age in Tabriz, Iran. METHODS: The current study was cross-sectional research that selected 400 women of reproductive age referring to health centers in Tabriz City, by using cluster random sampling from May 2022 to September 2022. Measurement properties of the Persian version of PFDI-20 were determined and evaluated through five steps, including content and face validity within two quantitative and qualitative parts, structural validity by using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and reliability testing through internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and measurement error. Moreover, ceiling and floor effects were investigated. RESULTS: In this research, CVI (content validity index) and CVR (content validity ratio) of PFDI-20 equaled 0.94 and 0.97, respectively. In addition, the EFA process was applied to 20 items and derived the structure of three factors, which explained 58.15% of the total variance. In CFA phase, values of fit indicators (RMSEA = 0.07, SRMR = 0.07, TLI = 0.97, CFI = 0.99, x2/df = 3.19) confirmed the model validity. To determine reliability, Cronbach's alpha = 0.84; McDonald's omega (95% CI) = 0.84 (0.82 to 0.87) and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (95% CI) = 0.98 (0.97 to 0.99) were obtained. Also, the SEM was 2.64, and the SDC indicating the smallest individual change was 8.91. Regarding the inventory feasibility, the ceiling effect was not observed in total value and subscales, while the floor effect in the total score of PFDI-20 equaled 24.0. The latter rate equaled 45.8, 38.3, and 50.8 for subscales POPDI-6, CRADI-8, and UDI-6, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Persian version of PFDI-20 is a valid and reliable scale used to evaluate PFDs in Iranian women of reproductive age. Healthcare professionals can use this scale to screen PFDs, and researchers can consider it a reliable tool for their studies.

Investigation of the effects of pelvic floor training on pain, sexual dysfunction, and quality of life in female patients with primary Sjögren syndrome.

AIM: To investigate the effects of pelvic floor training on pain, sexual dysfunction and quality of life in female patients with primary Sjögren syndrome (pSS) and determine whether pelvic floor training was superior to an education program. METHODS: Forty-six pSS patients (all women) with an average age of 47.78 ± 9.18 years were included in the study. Patients were divided into two groups as a pelvic floor training group and control group for 8 weeks. Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Pelvic Pain Impact Questionnaire (PPIQ), Female Sexual Function Scale (FSFI), Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), Pelvic Floor Disability Index-20 (PFDI-20), and Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire (PFIQ-7) were used to evaluate the outcomes. All evaluations were performed at baseline and at the end of the 8th week. RESULTS: When the groups were compared before training, there was no significant difference (p > .05). In post-training comparisons, there were significant differences in VAS, PPIQ, FSFI, PFIQ-7, and PFDI-20 in the pelvic floor training group (p values between .02 and .00), and in FSFI-lubrication, PFIQ-7, and PFDI-20 (p values between .00 and .03) in the control group. According to Δ values, the pelvic floor training group was found to be superior in terms of FSFI orgasm, pain, and lubrication scores (p = .00) and all sub-parameters of PFDI-20 (p = .00). CONCLUSION: Pelvic floor training has a positive effect on the sexual dysfunction and discomfort caused by pelvic symptoms in patients with pSS. Pelvic floor training should be included in rehabilitation programs to improve sexual function and pelvic floor dysfunctions for patients with pSS.

Adherencias del capuchón del clítoris al glande: una condición poco estudiada y poco examinada / Clitoral hood adhesions to the glans penis: an understudied and under-examined condition

INTRODUCCIÓN: El clítoris es una de las estructuras vulvares menos examinadas, pese a su relevancia en la vida sexual y sus importantes relaciones anatómicas. Las adherencias del capuchón del clítoris han sido descritas y clasificadas según la exposición del glande, siendo relacionadas con trastornos del deseo sexual. La inervación del clítoris depende de raíces de S3-S4, siendo posible que síntomas frecuentes del piso pélvico tengan relación con esta condición. Realizamos un análisis retrospectivo de pacientes de policlínico de piso pélvico entre noviembre de 2021 y abril de 2022. Se incluyeron 100 pacientes con adherencias al ingreso. RESULTADOS: Promedio de edad 45,8 ± 15,5 años. Las adherencias fueron el 19% leves, el 62% moderadas y el 18% graves. Los principales síntomas eran mal vaciado vesical (38%), dolor (28%), disfunción sexual (39%) y síntomas irritativos vesicales (43%); solo una paciente fue asintomática. El área visible promedio del clítoris era de 20,7 ± 13,7 mm2. CONCLUSIONES: Las adherencias del capuchón del clítoris son un hallazgo común, muchas veces no diagnosticadas, por lo que su evaluación debe ser parte de la exploración física. Pueden asociarse a sintomatología de piso pélvico.

INTRODUCTION: The clitoris is one of the least examined vulvar structures despite its relevance in sexual life and important anatomical relationships. Clitoral hood adhesions have been described in the literature, classified based on glans exposure, and related to sexual desire disorders. The innervation of the clitoris depends on the roots of S3-S4, and frequent pelvic floor symptoms may be associated with this condition. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical record of patients admitted to a pelvic floor clinic between November 2021 and April 2022. One hundred patients with adhesions at the time of admission were registered. RESULTS: Average 45.8 ± 15.5 years. Clitoral hood adhesions were mild (19%), moderated (62%), or severe (18%). The main symptoms were voiding dysfunction symptoms (38%), pain (28%), sexual dysfunction (39%), and irritative bladder symptoms (43%); only one patient was asymptomatic. The visible area of the clitoris was 20.7 ± 13.7 mm2. CONCLUSIONS: Adhesions of the clitoral hood are often undiagnosed, and its analysis should be part of the physical exam. Clitoral hood adhesions could be associated with pelvic floor symptoms.

Validation of the short forms of the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory and the Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire in Estonian.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory (PFDI-20) and the Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire (PFIQ-7) are reliable instruments for evaluating the quality of life in women with pelvic organ prolapse (POP). They have been translated and validated in many languages. The study was aimed at validating the Estonian translations of the PFDI-20 and PFIQ-7 tools. METHODS: The questionnaires were translated into Estonian using a multistep translation method. A total of 132 women were enrolled: patients with diagnosed POP (n=57) were allocated to test-retest reliability analyses, and those with no POP signs (n=88) completed the questionnaire only once. The total scores of questionnaires and their subscales of both patient and reference groups were compared. Item response rate, floor and ceiling effects, corrected item-total correlations, internal consistency, and convergent and discriminant validity were analyzed. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Human Research of the University Clinic of Tartu, Estonia, and informed consent was obtained from each participant. RESULTS: The translated questionnaires demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach's α values 0.77-0.93). The item response rate was 99%. Intra-class correlations (ICC) were strong for PFDI-20 and PFIQ-7 and their subscales ranged from 0.86 to 0.96. Construct validity of the tools demonstrated by manyfold higher scores among patients with POP compared with women without POP (p<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The Estonian versions of the PFDI-20 and PFIQ-7 tools are reliable and valid instruments for assessing the quality of life in women with POP.

Validation of online delivery of the Australian Pelvic Floor Questionnaire in an Irish obstetric population.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Childbirth remains an important risk factor for the development of pelvic floor disorders, regardless of the mode of delivery. To accurately assess these symptoms, accurate, woman-centric assessments are needed. Online versions of these assessments may be especially useful in the COVID-19 era. Women may potentially answer questions differently in an online format, and this study aimed to validate an online version of the paper-based self-administered Australian Pelvic Floor Questionnaire (APFQ). METHODS: The questionnaire was completed antenatally and at 3 months postpartum by 647 and 481 women respectively. Test- validity was assessed in subgroups of 61 and 57 women in each period, using intraclass correlation coefficients and Cohen's kappa. Sensitivity to change was assessed by comparing responses during pregnancy to those at 3 months postpartum. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha. Construct validity was assessed by comparing women with and without subjective bothersomeness. RESULTS: Intraclass correlation coefficients were above 0.9 for all domains and the overall questionnaire. Cohen's kappa for individual questions ranged from 0.71-1.00 across the antenatal and postnatal questionnaires. Cronbach's alpha was acceptable for all domains except the prolapse domain. The APFQ was sensitive to changes occurring between antenatal recruitment and 3 months postpartum. Effect sizes ranged from 0.83-7.99. CONCLUSIONS: This online version of the APFQ is valid for assessing pelvic floor disorders in an Irish obstetric population. The APFQ is reproducible and responsive to change occurring with childbirth, and can be used to research longitudinal changes in pelvic floor disorders. As an online tool, this questionnaire may be useful in increasing response rates to clinical research.

Pelvic floor disorder assessment of knowledge and symptoms: an educational intervention for Spanish-speaking women (PAKS study).

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Educational interventions have been effective in improving postpartum knowledge, performance of pelvic floor exercises, and bowel-specific quality-of-life. Our primary objective was to determine if a video-based educational intervention on pelvic floor disorders (PFDs) would increase Spanish-speaking women's knowledge of PFDs, and secondarily to assess if it would decrease pelvic floor symptoms. We hypothesized that Spanish-speaking women would improve their pelvic floor knowledge and symptoms post-intervention. METHODS: Inclusion criteria included women age 18 years and older and self-reported as a predominantly Spanish-speaker or equally bilingual English- and Spanish-speaker. Changes in knowledge were assessed with the Prolapse and Incontinence Knowledge Questionnaire (PIKQ). Changes in symptoms were assessed with the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory-20 (PFDI-20). Linear regression assessed for independent effects. RESULTS: One hundred and fourteen women were enrolled and 112 completed the pre- and post-intervention PIKQ. Mean (standard deviation [SD]) age was 50 (14) years. Immediate post-intervention scores showed significant improvement in knowledge. Total PIKQ score improved by 5.1 (4.7) points (p < 0.001). POP subscore improved by 2.7 (2.7) points (p<0.001) and UI subscore improved by 2.3 (2.5) points (p < 0.001). Improvement in knowledge continued after four weeks (p < 0.001). PFDI-20 prolapse (p=0.02), colorectal-anal (p < 0.001) and urinary (p = 0.01) scores significantly improved only for the most symptomatic women at baseline. Using linear regression, total PIKQ (p = 0.03) and total PFDI-20 scores (p = 0.04) were associated with predominantly Spanish-speakers versus fully bilingual. CONCLUSION: Findings support the efficacy of a video-based educational intervention to improve knowledge of PFDs in Spanish-speaking women. The most symptomatic women benefitted from this intervention.

Importance of internal vaginal pelvic floor muscle exams for women with external lumbar/hip/pelvic girdle pain.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: The relationship between external lumbar, hip, and/or pelvic girdle pain and internal vaginal pelvic floor myofascial pain is not well described. We assessed this relationship in a cohort of adult women. METHODS: The cohort included women ≥ 18 years old who received care for external lumbar, hip, and/or pelvic girdle pain (reported or elicited on physical examination) who then underwent internal vaginal myofascial levator ani pain assessments, in a tertiary care Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery pelvic pain clinic over a 2-year period (2013 and 2014). RESULTS: The cohort of 177 women had an average age of 44.9±16.0 years, an average body mass index of 27.2±7.0 kg/m2, and the majority (79.2%) were white. Most patients presented with a chief complaint of pelvic (51.4%), vulvovaginal (18.6%), and/or lumbar (15.3%) pain. Women who reported symptoms of lumbar, hip, or pelvic girdle pain were more likely to have pain on vaginal pelvic floor muscle examination than women without this history (OR, 7.24; 95% CI, 1.95-26.93, p=0.003). The majority (85.9%) of women had bilateral internal vaginal pelvic floor myofascial pain on examination. CONCLUSIONS: Although participants did not describe "vaginal pelvic floor myofascial pain," the high detection rate for internal vaginal pelvic floor myofascial pain on clinical examination highlights an opportunity to improve treatment planning. These findings suggest that the vaginal pelvic floor muscle examination should be part of the assessment of all women with lumbar, hip, and/or pelvic girdle pain. The relationship between this finding and clinical outcomes following directed treatment warrants additional study.

An International Continence Society (ICS)/ International Urogynecological Association (IUGA) joint report on the terminology for the assessment and management of obstetric pelvic floor disorders.

AIMS: The terminology of obstetric pelvic floor disorders should be defined and reported as part of a wider clinically oriented consensus. METHODS: This Report combines the input of members of two International Organizations, the International Continence Society (ICS) and the International Urogynecological Association (IUGA). The process was supported by external referees. Appropriate clinical categories and a sub-classification were developed to give coding to definitions. An extensive process of 12 main rounds of internal and 2 rounds of external review was involved to exhaustively examine each definition, with decision-making by consensus. RESULTS: A terminology report for obstetric pelvic floor disorders, encompassing 357 separate definitions, has been developed. It is clinically-based with the most common diagnoses defined. Clarity and user-friendliness have been key aims to make it usable by different specialty groups and disciplines involved in the study and management of pregnancy, childbirth and female pelvic floor disorders. Clinical assessment, investigations, diagnosis, conservative and surgical treatments are major components. Illustrations have been included to supplement and clarify the text. Emerging concepts, in use in the literature and offering further research potential but requiring further validation, have been included as an Appendix. As with similar reports, interval (5-10 year) review is anticipated to maintain relevance of the document and ensure it remains as widely applicable as possible. CONCLUSION: A consensus-based Terminology Report for obstetric pelvic floor disorders has been produced to support clinical practice and research.