Effects of using a mobile application on pelvic floor training in women with stress urinary incontinence: A randomized controlled clinical study.

INTRODUCTION: Urinary incontinence (UI) is defined as any involuntary loss of urine that causes negative impacts on women's lives. Pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) is considered to be "level A" of scientific evidence in the treatment of UI. Despite its efficacy, it is known that the effect of PFMT may depend on continuous adherence. Therefore, healthcare professionals are looking for alternatives to improve adherence in their patients. Healthcare has been innovating through mobile device apps. OBJECTIVE: Thus, the objective of this study was to verify the effects of PFMT with the use of a mobile device app in incontinent women. TRIAL DESIGN: This was a controlled, randomized clinical trial that occurred remotely. METHODS: A total of 104 women with stress UI and/or mixed incontinence, over 18 years old, literate, with preserved cognitive capacity, with internet access and a mobile device with the Android system, participated in this study. They were randomly divided into two groups: The App group and the Booklet group, which underwent a PFMT protocol guided by a mobile app and a booklet, respectively. Both groups received daily reminders to perform the exercises. Before and after 12 weeks of intervention, it was evaluated using the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-SF) and the King's Health Questionnaire (KHQ). RESULTS: Both groups showed improvements in the final ICIQ-SF score. However, superior results were shown for the Booklet group (App: pre: 11.5 [±3.8], post: 9.8 [±4.5]; Booklet: pre: 12.6 [±4.5], post: 7.4 [±4.3]; p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: It was concluded that PFMT, with the use of a mobile app, is capable of reducing UI and the impact of UI, but it is not superior to training with the use of booklet instructions.

Low-Value Practices for Pelvic Floor Dysfunction-Choosing Wisely Recommendations from the Brazilian Association of Physiotherapy in Women's Health: Observational Study.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: The Choosing Wisely campaign is an international initiative that is aimed at promoting a dialog between professionals, helping the population to choose an evidence-based, truly necessary and risk-free care. The aim of the study was to develop the Choosing Wisely Brazil list on Women's Health Physiotherapy in the area of the pelvic floor. METHODS: A observational study was carried out between January 2022 and July 2023, proposed by the Brazilian Association of Physiotherapy in Women's Health, and developed by researchers working in the area of the pelvic floor. The development of the list consisted of six stages: a panel of experts, consensus building, national research, a review by the Choosing Wisely Brazil team, preparation of the list, and publication of the recommendations. Descriptive and content analyses were carried out in order to include evidence-based recommendations with over 80% agreement by physiotherapists in Brazil. RESULTS: The expert panel was made up of 25 physiotherapists who submitted 63 recommendations. Seven physiotherapists/researchers carried out a critical analysis of the literature and refined the recommendations, resulting in 11 recommendations that were put to a national vote, in which 222 physiotherapists took part. After a review by the Choosing Wisely Brazil team, five recommendations with an average agreement of 88.2% agreement were chosen for publication. CONCLUSIONS: The Choosing Wisely Brazil team in Physiotherapy in Women's Health/Pelvic Floor proposed a list of five recommendations that showed a high agreement among Brazilian physiotherapists working in the area.

Self-Perception of Sexual Dysfunction of Adult Brazilian Women of Reproductive Age: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction: Sexual dysfunction (SD) comprises disorders in sexual desire, arousal, orgasm, and lubrication. The importance of self-perceived SD relies on its relation to personal values, sex education, and partnership. We aimed to analyze the association between self-perceived SD and the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) in adult women of reproductive age and the correlation between age and sexual function. Material and Methods: This analytical cross-sectional study included 285 women aged 18 to 49 years, sexually active for at least four weeks, cisgender and heterosexual, and with Internet access. Women were divided into control (CG, control group; without SD) or study group (SG, study group; with SD) and responded to a self-applicable online survey containing a sociodemographic characterization, an interview about SD knowledge, and the FSFI test. The Chi-square test of independence (χ2) analyzed the association between self-perceived SD and FSFI-assessed SD. Pearson's correlation coefficient investigated the correlation between age and FSFI. Results: Included women had a mean age of 29.57 years ± 7.11 years. Self-perceived SD showed a moderate association (Cramer's V = 0.590) with the FSFI score (χ2 [2] = 91.500; p < 0.001). A weak, negative, and significant correlation was observed between age and the FSFI desire domain (r = -0.120; p = 0.030; r2 = 1.440). Conclusion: Women with self-perceived SD were 68% more likely to present FSFI-assessed SD. Regarding the FSFI desire domain, sexual function decreased with age.

Translation, cross-cultural adaptation to Brazilian Portuguese and measurement properties of the WaLIDD score.

Objective: Dysmenorrhea is the pain related to menstruation; to screen for the symptoms, a working ability, location, intensity of days of pain, and dysmenorrhea (WaLIDD) score was created. The purpose of this work was to culturally adapt and assess the measurement properties of the WaLIDD score for dysmenorrhea in Brazilian women. Methods: In this cross-sectional online study, we evaluated women with and without dysmenorrhea. Criterion validity and construct validity were assessed, respectively, by the Receiver Operator Characteristic (ROC) curve and correlations with the bodily pain and social functioning domains of medical outcomes study 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36), self-report of absenteeism and Stanford Presenteeism Scale for presenteeism. Test-retest reliability and measurement errors were assessed, respectively, by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland and Altman Graph. Results: 430 women completed the test, 238 (55.4%) women had dysmenorrhea, and 199 (46.3%) answered the questionnaire twice for the retest. The cutoff points ≥4, ≥5, and ≥5 could discriminate between women with and without dysmenorrhea, absenteeism, and presenteeism related to dysmenorrhea, respectively. Correlations between SF-36 - pain and social functioning domains and WaLIDD score were weak to strong and negative. For WaLIDD total Score, ICC was 0.95 and the limits of agreement were -1.54 and 1.62. Conclusion: WaLIDD score is a short, valid and reliable instrument to screen and predict dysmenorrhea and could predict absenteeism and presenteeism related to dysmenorrhea in Brazilian women.

Measurement properties of patient-reported outcome measures for women with dysmenorrhea: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Dysmenorrhea, or menstrual pain, is a subjective experience, and can only be assessed by patient-reported outcomes. These instruments should be reliable, valid and responsive. AIM: To identify and critically appraise the available evidence for the measurement properties of specific patient-reported outcome measures used for dysmenorrhea. METHODS: The PRISMA statement was used to report this systematic review. Databases searched were PubMed, SCOPUS, CINAHL, Web of Science, ScienceDirect and Google Scholar (April 2021; updated on February 2023). Original studies with primary data collection, with no restriction on language and publication date that reported psychometric properties of one or more dysmenorrhea-related patient-reported outcome measure. The literature searches, selection of studies, data extraction and assessment of the risk of bias were performed independently by two reviewers and followed the COSMIN guidelines. RESULTS: Thirty studies were analysed in this review, and 19 patient-reported outcome measures were evaluated. The instruments varied in relation to the measured construct and measurement properties (validity, reliability and responsiveness). The methodological quality of the studies and the quality of evidence of the patient-reported outcome measures were variable. Among the 13 studies that reported the development of patient-reported outcome measures, most had inadequate methodological quality, and the overall rating was insufficient or inconsistent. CONCLUSIONS: The Dysmenorrhea Symptom Interference (DSI) scale was the only identified patient-reported outcome measure that has the potential to be recommended because of its sufficient rating combined with moderate quality of evidence for content validity. Future studies should further evaluate the measurement properties of the existing patient-reported outcome measures, or develop new patient-reported outcome measures following the COSMIN methodology. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Not applicable as this is a systematic review. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO protocol: CRD42021244410. Registration on April 22, 2021.

Presenteeism and associated factors among women with menstrual symptoms.

PURPOSE: Menstrual characteristics can affect a woman's productivity at work and college, but studies in a general population of adult women are scarce. In addition, it is important to know which menstrual symptoms are most associated with presenteeism in women to promote specific health actions. The present study aimed to assess menstrual symptoms associated with presenteeism in adult women. METHODS: Online cross-sectional study in which menstrual characteristics, including menstrual flow, age of menarche, menstrual pain and cycle duration were assessed by a self-report questionnaire. The menstrual pain intensity was assessed by Numerical Rating Scale, and the presenteeism, by the Stanford Presenteeism Scale-6 (SPS-6). Women were divided in two groups, with and without presenteeism, based on the SPS-6 cutoff point. Data were analyzed by binary logistic regression and presented as odds ratios (OR). RESULTS: Among the 430 women who participated in the study, 44.2% were classified as with presenteeism. Women with severe menstrual flow were more likely to have presenteeism (OR = 2.12) compared with women with mild and moderate menstrual flow. The higher menstrual pain intensity the higher the chances of a woman presenting with presenteeism (OR = 1.29). CONCLUSIONS: These menstrual characteristics (intensity of menstrual flow and menstrual pain) seem to affect women's productivity at work and/or college, and should be assessed in research and clinical practice. Thus, public policies on women's health can be carried out based on these results.

The minimal important difference of patient-reported outcome measures related to female urinary incontinence: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The minimal important difference is a valuable metric in ascertaining the clinical relevance of a treatment, offering valuable guidance in patient management. There is a lack of available evidence concerning this metric in the context of outcomes related to female urinary incontinence, which might negatively impact clinical decision-making. OBJECTIVES: To summarize the minimal important difference of patient-reported outcome measures associated with urinary incontinence, calculated according to both distribution- and anchor-based methods. METHODS: This is a systematic review conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines. The search strategy including the main terms for urinary incontinence and minimal important difference were used in five different databases (Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Scopus) in 09 June 2021 and were updated in January 09, 2024 with no limits for date, language or publication status. Studies that provided minimal important difference (distribution- or anchor-based methods) for patient-reported outcome measures related to female urinary incontinence outcomes were included. The study selection and data extraction were performed independently by two different researchers. Only studies that reported the minimal important difference according to anchor-based methods were assessed by credibility and certainty of the evidence. When possible, absolute minimal important differences were calculated for each study separately according to the mean change of the group of participants that slightly improved. RESULTS: Twelve studies were included. Thirteen questionnaires with their respective minimal important differences reported according to distribution (effect size, standard error of measurement, standardized response mean) and anchor-based methods were found. Most of the measures for anchor methods did not consider the smallest difference identified by the participants to calculate the minimal important difference. All reports related to anchor-based methods presented low credibility and very low certainty of the evidence. We pooled 20 different estimates of minimal important differences using data from primary studies, considering different anchors and questionnaires. CONCLUSIONS: There is a high variability around the minimal important difference related to patient-reported outcome measures for urinary incontinence outcomes according to the method of analysis, questionnaires, and anchors used, however, the credibility and certainty of the evidence to support these is still limited.

Prevalence, pain intensity and symptoms associated with primary dysmenorrhea: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Primary dysmenorrhea (PD) is an etiological cyclic pelvic pain related to the menstrual period; it can negatively impact women's quality of life and productivity. The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of PD and analyze associated symptoms in Brazilian women. METHODS: An online cross-sectional study was carried out in Brazil, with a structured questionnaire regarding dysmenorrhea and associated symptoms. PD intensity was measured with the Numerical Rating Scale for Pain and classified as mild (1-3), moderate (4-7) and severe (> 8). The association between qualitative variables was performed using Pearson's Chi-Square Test. The quantification of this association was measured using multinomial logistic regression models, with calculation of Odds Ratio and confidence interval. A significance level of 5% was considered. RESULTS: A total of 10,070 women were included. Most participants classified PD intensity as moderate (40.4%, 41.9% and 49.7%) and severe (21.2%, 24.8% and 28.4%) in the previous month, 3 months and 5 years, respectively. The most common symptoms associated with PD were irritability, abdominal distension sensation, anxiety and feeling more emotional. The increased of the risk (OR > 1.0) for moderate and severe PD-related pain intensity is related to age, nulliparity and presence PD since adolescence. CONCLUSION: There is a high prevalence of PD among Brazilian women, and the most common symptoms reported were irritability, abdominal distension sensation, anxiety and feeling more emotional.

Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Measurement Properties Analysis of the Brazilian Portuguese Version of the ICIQ-VS.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: The high prevalence of pelvic floor disorders in women requires assessments using validated instruments. We aimed to translate, cross-culturally adapt to Brazilian Portuguese, and analyze the measurement properties of the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Vaginal Symptoms Module (ICIQ-VS-Br). METHODS: Participants were Brazilian women older than 18 years presenting vulvovaginal symptoms according to the Vulvovaginal Symptoms Questionnaire (VSQ-Br). The development of the ICIQ-VS-Br included the steps of translation, synthesis, back-translation, expert meeting, and pre-test. We analyzed construct validity by correlating the ICIQ-VS-Br and VSQ-Br. The participants answered the ICIQ-VS-Br the second time 7 to 10 days after the first response. We measured test-retest reliability using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha, and construct validity using Pearson's correlation coefficient. RESULTS: The study included 313 women. Reproducibility was analyzed for the three subscales of the ICIQ-VS-Br, resulting in an ICC of 0.92 (95% CI 0.89 to 0.94) for "vaginal symptoms," 0.85 (95% CI 0.78 to 0.89) for "sexual matters," and 0.87 (95% CI 0.81 to 0.91) for "quality of life." Construct validity showed a moderate correlation between ICIQ-VS-Br and VSQ-Br, confirming our hypotheses. CONCLUSIONS: The ICIQ-VS-Br demonstrated validity and reproducibility, indicating that the instrument can be used in scientific research and clinical practice.

Pelvic floor muscle training as treatment for female sexual dysfunction: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of pelvic floor muscle training in treating female sexual dysfunction. DATA SOURCES: A systematic review of databases, including PubMed, Ovid Medline, CINAHL, Embase, BVSalud, Scopus, and Cochrane Library, was performed in July 2021 and updated in May 2023. STUDY ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Full-text articles of randomized controlled trials comparing pelvic floor muscle training with no intervention or another conservative treatment were included. At least 1 arm of these trials aimed to improve women's sexual function or treat sexual dysfunction. METHODS: The data for this review were extracted and analyzed by 2 independent reviewers. Data on the characteristics of each intervention were extracted using the Consensus on Exercise Reporting Template. The risk of bias and certainty of evidence were assessed using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale and the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) criteria, respectively. A meta-analysis was conducted considering the posttreatment mean score difference in the Female Sexual Function Index between the control and treatment groups. RESULTS: A total of 21 randomized controlled trials were included in this review. The Consensus on Exercise Reporting Template revealed varying quality of the pelvic floor muscle training protocols. Four studies were included in the meta-analysis showing that pelvic floor muscle training improved arousal (1.49; 95% confidence interval, 0.13-2.85), orgasm (1.55; 95% confidence interval, 0.13-2.96), satisfaction (1.46; 95% confidence interval, 0.14-2.77), pain (0.74; 95% confidence interval, 0.11-1.37), and the Female Sexual Function Index overall score (7.67; 95% confidence interval, 0.77-14.57). Very low certainty of evidence due to the data's high clinical and statistical heterogeneity was found according to the GRADE criteria. No side effects of the interventions were reported. CONCLUSION: This systematic review and meta-analysis showed that pelvic floor muscle training improved female Female Sexual Function Index total score and several subscales; however, the certainty of the evidence is low.

Translation, cross-cultural adaptation to Brazilian Portuguese and measurement properties of the WaLIDD score

Abstract Objective: Dysmenorrhea is the pain related to menstruation; to screen for the symptoms, a working ability, location, intensity of days of pain, and dysmenorrhea (WaLIDD) score was created. The purpose of this work was to culturally adapt and assess the measurement properties of the WaLIDD score for dysmenorrhea in Brazilian women. Methods: In this cross-sectional online study, we evaluated women with and without dysmenorrhea. Criterion validity and construct validity were assessed, respectively, by the Receiver Operator Characteristic (ROC) curve and correlations with the bodily pain and social functioning domains of medical outcomes study 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36), self-report of absenteeism and Stanford Presenteeism Scale for presenteeism. Test-retest reliability and measurement errors were assessed, respectively, by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland and Altman Graph. Results: 430 women completed the test, 238 (55.4%) women had dysmenorrhea, and 199 (46.3%) answered the questionnaire twice for the retest. The cutoff points ≥4, ≥5, and ≥5 could discriminate between women with and without dysmenorrhea, absenteeism, and presenteeism related to dysmenorrhea, respectively. Correlations between SF-36 - pain and social functioning domains and WaLIDD score were weak to strong and negative. For WaLIDD total Score, ICC was 0.95 and the limits of agreement were −1.54 and 1.62. Conclusion: WaLIDD score is a short, valid and reliable instrument to screen and predict dysmenorrhea and could predict absenteeism and presenteeism related to dysmenorrhea in Brazilian women.

Effects of health education on women with urinary incontinence: systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: The objective was to investigate the effects of health education (HE) on urinary symptoms and quality of life in women with urinary incontinence (UI). METHODS: A systematic review and meta-analysis of trials evaluating HE for women with UI. The risk of bias was assessed using the revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials. RESULTS: The search identified 5,118 articles. Eighteen papers were considered eligible. The interventions investigated included health education (HE), combined intervention, self-management (SM), and structured training (ST). Outcomes included quality of life (QoL), UI frequency, UI severity, impression of improvement, incontinence symptoms, urine leakage, fear of leakage, urgency, and incontinence impact. Compared with the control group there was a significant improvement in the frequency, severity, and impact on the QoL for women with UI (assessed by the total score of the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Short Form (ICIQ SF); RR = -1.47, 95% CI [-2.07, -0.88]; two trials; low certainty of the evidence). CONCLUSIONS: This review shows that HE seems to be beneficial in the treatment of women with UI when compared with control women (no treatment or general health care), improving the frequency, severity, and impact on QoL assessed by the ICIQ SF total score. However, the certainty of this evidence is low.

What are the cut-off points for vaginal manometry to differentiate women with a weak from those with a strong pelvic floor muscle contraction?: Vaginal manometry to classify a pelvic floor muscle contraction.

BACKGROUND: Vaginal manometry is regarded as an objective method to assess pelvic floor muscles (PFM) function and can measure several variables during contraction. OBJECTIVE: To determine which variables could differentiate women with/without a weak/strong PFM contraction and determine their cut-off points. METHODS: This is a diagnostic accuracy study performed on 156 women with a mean age of 40.4 (SD, 15.9) years. The reference test was vaginal palpation and the index test was vaginal manometry (Peritron™ manometer). Variables were pressure at rest, pressure achieved with maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), MVC average, duration, gradient, and area under the curve (AUCm). The Receiver Operating Curve (AUC/ROC) and logistic regression were used to analyze the data and obtain cut-off points. RESULTS: Excellent ability to discriminate women with a weak/strong PFM contraction was found for MVC average (cut-off: 28.93 cmH2O), MVC (cut-off: 38.61 cmH2O), and the AUCm (cut-off: 1011.93 cm²*s). The gradient variable had good discrimination ability (AUC/ROC=0.81; cut-off: 28.68 cmH2O/s). The MVC average assessed by manometry, menopausal status, and the presence of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) were associated with a weak/strong PFM contraction in the multivariate analysis; however, the most parsimonious model to discriminate weak/strong PFM contraction included only the MVC average (AUC/ROC = 0.95; sensitivity: 0.87; specificity: 0.91). CONCLUSION: These results suggest which manometry variables are appropriate to assess and classify PFM function in females. These could be used to help physical therapists to make clinic decisions about the management of female PFM.

Should the Preference-Based Index Set of Values Be Country or Disease Specific? An Analysis Using Data From Women With Symptoms of Overactive Bladder.

OBJECTIVES: Overactive bladder (OAB) and urinary incontinence (UI) are common conditions among women. We aimed to verify the difference between the preference-based index extracted from short-form six-dimension version one (SF-6Dv1) in women with OAB using different country-specific value sets, translate and cross-culturally adapt the King's Health Questionnaire Five Dimension (KHQ-5D) into Brazilian Portuguese, and examine the association between preference-based index obtained by the SF-6Dv1 and KHQ-5D. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 387 women with OAB, divided into groups with and without UI. The participants answered the sociodemographic questionnaire, KHQ, KHQ-5D, and SF-6Dv1. A two-way mixed analysis of variance, with post hoc to multiple comparisons were applied and a Spearman's test was applied to verify the correlation between the preference-based index of SF-6Dv1 and KHQ-5D. RESULTS: The main analysis showed a statistically significant interaction between the presence of UI and the value set obtained from the different countries (P = .005, Cohen's d = 0.02). The post hoc analyses showed that there was a statistically significant main effect of the value sets obtained from different countries (P < .001, d = 0.63) and in the presence of UI (P = .012, d = 0.02). The correlations between the preference-based index obtained from different countries using the SF-6Dv1 and KHQ-5D were significant. CONCLUSIONS: Differences were observed between the preference-based index obtained in different countries and presence of UI, although positive and significant results were observed in the correlation between preference-based index from different countries. The correlation between general and specifics preference-based index was small; the SF-6Dv1 could be used in cost-utility studies for this population.

The Effects of Electrode Placement on Analgesia Using Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation for Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Single-Blind Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

Background Primary dysmenorrhea (PD) refers to the occurrence of painful menstrual cramps without pathological involvement of the pelvic organs, with considerable morbidity and high prevalence among females of reproductive age. Objective The objective of this study is to present and test the efficacy of an innovative method of interactive transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (iTENS) for PD. Methods and materials This study is a single-blind controlled clinical trial. This was conducted at the outpatient clinic of the faculty of physical therapy. Females with PD (n=124) were divided into the treated group (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation {TENS} group {TG}, n=62) and the placebo group (PG, n=62). A single session of either iTENS or placebo intervention was used for 35 minutes. Pain, the duration of analgesia, and the use of pain medication were assessed before and after the intervention. Data from before and after the treatment were compared between groups (Student's t-test). The level of significance was set at 5%. Results A significant decrease in pain (p<0.001) was observed after the intervention for the TG, with a more long-lasting analgesia (p<0.001) and decreased need for pain medication (p<0.001). Conclusions The proposed method of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) application showed positive results for pain management on females with PD, with no reported adverse effects. The new proposed TENS application takes into account the preferences of the patient regarding positioning and the number of channels needed to cause analgesia. This application was able to promote almost complete analgesia in females with primary dysmenorrhea, and the analgesia persisted for more than one menstrual cycle.

The Brazilian Portuguese version of the ICIQ-FLUTSsex: cross-cultural adaptation and measurement property analysis.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: The worldwide prevalence of sexual dysfunction in women is high; therefore, an adequate assessment of this condition is necessary, with instruments validated for the Brazilian population. The aim was to translate and adapt the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Female Sexual Matters Associated with Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms into Brazilian Portuguese (ICIQ-FLUTSsex-Br) and analyze its measurement properties. METHODS: We recruited Brazilian women, literate, over 18 years old, who had had sexual intercourse in the last 4 weeks and had urinary loss. The translation and cross-cultural adaptation were performed following five stages: translation, synthesis, back translation, expert committee review, and pre-test. Measurement properties were analyzed using SPSS software, as follows: test-retest reliability using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC); construct validity using Pearson's correlation coefficient, by correlating the ICIQ-FLUTSsex-Br with the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and the Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire (PISQ-12). RESULTS: A total of 328 women participated in the study. The reproducibility was 0.88, the standard error of measurement was 0.29, and the minimal detectable change was 0.80 (95% CI). Moderate correlations were found between the total scores of the ICIQ-FLUTSsex and PISQ-12 questionnaires (0.54, p<0.01), confirming the hypotheses outlined. Weak correlations were also found for comparisons between the FSFI and ICIQ-FLUTSsex total scores (-0.56, p<0.01) and the PISQ-12 question about fear of incontinence hindering sexual intercourse (0.26, p<0.01). CONCLUSION: The Portuguese-language version of the ICIQ-FLUTSsex-Br showed validity and reproducibility, making it a tool to be used in research and clinical practice by health professionals in Brazil.

Effect of pelvic floor muscle training on reports of urinary incontinence in obese women undergoing a low-calorie diet before bariatric surgery - protocol of a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Obesity represents a growing threat to health with multiple negative impacts including urinary incontinence. Pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) is the first line of treatment for urinary incontinence. Both surgical and conservative weight loss results in improvement of urinary incontinence reports in obese women and we hypothesize that a low-calorie diet in combination with PFMT would result in additional beneficial effects to urinary symptoms in women with UI compared would with weight loss alone. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of a low-calorie diet plus PFMT protocol in obese women's urinary incontinence reports. METHODS: This is a protocol for a randomized controlled trial that will include obese women reporting UI and being able to contract their pelvic floor muscles. The participants will be randomly allocated in two groups: group 1 will participate in a 12-week protocol of low-calorie diet delivered by a multi-professional team at a tertiary hospital; group II will receive the same low-calorie diet protocol during 12 weeks and will additionally participate in 6 group sessions of supervised PFMT delivered by a physiotherapist. The primary outcome of the study is self-reported UI, and severity and impact of UI on women's quality of life will be assessed by the ICIQ-SF score. The secondary outcomes will be adherence to the protocols assessed using a home diary, pelvic floor muscle function assessed by bidigital vaginal palpation and the modified Oxford grading scale, and women's self-perception of their PFM contraction using a questionnaire. Satisfaction with treatments will be assessed using a visual analog scale. The statistical analysis will be performed by intention to treat and multivariate analysis of mixed effects will be used to compare outcomes. The complier average causal effects (CACE) method will be used to assess adherence. There is an urgent need for a high-quality RCT to investigate if the association of a low-calorie diet and PFMT can provide a larger effect in the improvement of urinary incontinence reports in women with obesity. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trials NCT04159467. Registered on 08/28/2021.

Can you breathe yourself to a better pelvic floor? A systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Some authors suggest that breathing exercises should be recommended instead of or in combination with pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) to prevent and treat urinary incontinence (UI) and pelvic organ prolapse (POP). AIMS: The primary aim of the present study was to investigate the evidence for breathing as an intervention alone or in addition to PFM contraction in treatment of UI and POP. MATERIALS & METHODS: This systematic review included short-term experimental studies and randomize controlled trials (RCTs) indexed on PubMed, EMBASE, and PEDro database. A form was used to extract data that was analyzed qualitatively due to the heterogeneity in interventions and outcome measures of the included studies. The individual methodological quality of RCTs was analyzed using the PEDro scale. RESULTS: A total of 18 studies were included, 374 participants from short-term experimental studies and 765 from nine RCTs. PEDro score varied from 4 to 8. Activation of the PFM during expiration was significantly less than during a PFM contraction. In general, the RCTs showed that training the PFM is significantly more effective to improve PFM variables and UI and POP than breathing exercises, and that adding breathing exercises to PFMT have no additional effect. CONCLUSION: This systematic review indicates that the evidence for incorporating breathing exercise in clinical practice in addition to or instead of PFMT is scant or non-existing, both based on short-term experimental studies and small RCTs.

How does my pain look like? Characterizing dysmenorrhea-related pain using the body map / Como se parece a minha dor? Caracterizando a dor relacionada à dismenorreia utilizando o mapa corporal da dor

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Primary dysmenorrhea (PD) is a common gynaecological disorder characterized by pain in the abdominal region without pelvic disease. Evidence suggests that PD-related pain may not be restricted to the pelvis region, hence body mapping could be helpful in assessing the subjective location, intensity, and distribution of pain areas in women with PD. The objective of this study was to characterize dysmenorrhea-related pain location and intensity using body map. METHODS: We conducted a web-based cross-sectional study for adult women to self-report menstrual pain during three menstrual cycles. Each participant was instructed through a messaging application to paint the body map after printing it and rank their pain according to the 11-point Numerical Rating Scale. RESULTS: Seventy-three women (24.1 ± 3.0 years) participated in the study. A considerable proportion of participants reported pain in the lower abdomen (90.4%) and other body areas, such as the lower back (82.1%), head (54.6%), breasts (32.9%), upper abdomen (31.5%), and legs (28.8%). CONCLUSION: Our findings revealed that women with PD also present pain outside the uterine referral area during their period. In this way, body maps can help healthcare professionals to record specific regions of pain and track changes or patterns in the location or intensity pain during menses, helping to determine treatment strategies appropriate to the individual needs of each woman with PD. Therefore, we strongly recommend the clinical use of the self-report body map to evaluate menstrual pain and help health providers to improve PD symptoms in this population.

RESUMO JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: A dismenorreia primária (DP) é um distúrbio ginecológico comum caracterizado por dor na região abdominal sem doença pélvica. Evidências sugerem que a dor relacionada à DP pode não estar restrita à região da pelve, portanto, o mapeamento corporal pode ser útil para avaliar a localização subjetiva, a intensidade e a distribuição das áreas de dor em mulheres com DP. O objetivo deste estudo foi caracterizar a localização e a intensidade da dor relacionada à dismenorreia por meio do mapa corporal. MÉTODOS: Conduziu-se um estudo transversal baseado na web para mulheres adultas para autorrelato de dor menstrual durante três ciclos menstruais. Cada participante foi instruído por meio de um aplicativo de mensagens a pintar o mapa corporal após imprimi-lo e classificar sua dor de acordo com a Escala de Avaliação Numérica de 11 pontos. RESULTADOS: Setenta e três mulheres (24,1±3,0 anos) participaram do estudo. Uma proporção considerável de participantes relatou dor na parte inferior do abdômen (90,4%) e em outras áreas do corpo, como a parte inferior das costas (82,1%), cabeça (54,6%), mamas (32,9%), parte superior do abdômen (31,5%) e pernas (28,8%). CONCLUSÃO: Os presentes achados revelaram que mulheres com DP também apresentam dor fora da área de referência uterina durante o período menstrual. Dessa forma, os mapas corporais podem ajudar os profissionais de saúde a registrar regiões específicas de dor e rastrear mudanças ou padrões na localização ou intensidade da dor durante a menstruação, ajudando a determinar estratégias de tratamento adequadas às necessidades individuais de cada mulher com DP. Portanto, recomenda-se fortemente o uso clínico do mapa corporal de autorrelato para avaliar a dor menstrual e ajudar os profissionais de saúde a melhorar os sintomas de DP nessa população.

Prevalence and factors associated with sexual dysfunction in brazilian women: a cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Changes in the mechanisms that modulate sexual response can contribute to the development of female sexual dysfunction (FSD). Although the prevalence of FSD in Brazil has been established, its associated risk factors have not been thoroughly examined. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of FSD in Brazilian women and identify any factors that may be associated with its presence. METHODS: This study used a cross-sectional design and included women aged 18 years or older who had engaged in sexual activity within the past four weeks. Participants completed the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and a sociodemographic and health questionnaire. Two groups were created based on FSFI scores: those with risk for FSD (score >26.55) and those without. The study used t-tests for independent samples to compare quantitative variables between the groups, and the chi-squared test, to compare categorical variables. Binomial logistic regression was used to test the association between sociodemographic and health variables and FSD. RESULTS: FSD had a prevalence of 31.7% (95% CI: 28.2%-35.5%). The results indicated that practice of physical activity was inversely associated with FSD (OR: 0.64, 95% CI: 0.45-0.92), whereas urinary incontinence (OR: 2.55, 95% CI: 1.68-3.87) and post-menopause (OR: 4.69, 95% CI: 1.66-13.3) were directly associated with FSD. CONCLUSIONS: A high prevalence of FSD was observed among Brazilian women in this study. Physically active women are less likely to have FSD. Menopause and the presence of urinary incontinence can negatively impact female sexual function.