Posture, Core Stabilization, Respiratory Muscle Strength and Quality of Life in Women With Urinary Incontinence

Urinary incontinence (UI) is involuntary urinary leakage and may lead to social and economic problems. There are different types of UI such as stress type, urge, mixed type. Risk factors include age, gender, genetics, menopause, obesity, labour and surgical history. Posture is the position of the body during movement or posture and can also be defined as muscle balance. Studies have reported that there may be a relationship between UI and respiratory problems and postural motor control disorder. Various methods are used in posture assessment, but there is no study evaluating posture with artificial intelligence in women with UI in the literature.Constipation is a particularly serious risk for the development of stress urinary incontinence (SUI). Severe constipation in women leads to differences in the neural function of the pelvic floor by reducing the neural effect of the external anal sphincter and pelvic floor muscles (PFM). Many conditions that increase intra-abdominal pressure (IAB) cause the onset or development of UI. Constipation also leads to an increase in intra-abdominal pressure and thus an increase in intra-bladder pressure. Recently, researchers have investigated the relationship between constipation and urinary incontinence, but the results have been inconsistent. Core stabilisation is the ability to regulate the posture and movement of the body over the pelvis. During forced exhalation activities (Valsalva, coughing, laughing, etc.), the pelvic floor muscles (PFM), abdominal muscles and diaphragm work together to increase intra-abdominal pressure and prevent incontinence. The trunk stabilisation muscles work in concert to keep the abdomen and lumbopelvic region stable by regulating intra-abdominal pressure during various activities of daily living. The activity of these muscles alters intra-abdominal pressure, which in turn can affect the activity of the pelvic floor muscles. Cough is associated with urinary incontinence in women by affecting the concerted contraction of thoracic, abdominal and pelvic muscles. Women with chronic cough are 55-63.3% more likely to develop severe UI than women without chronic cough. Chronic cough has been shown to be one of the common risk factors for UI, along with advanced age, high BMI, history of vaginal delivery and surgical interventions. Urinary incontinence is a public health problem that seriously affects women's quality of life and social participation, as well as being common among older women. UI has a negative impact on individuals' sleep, sexual function, work performance and psychosocial aspects. As symptoms increase, quality of life decreases, but women usually realise the effects of UI years later by seeking professional help. When the literature was reviewed, it was observed that there were studies on parameters such as quality of life and pelvic floor muscle strength in women with urinary incontinence, but there were not enough studies on posture, respiratory functions, constipation and coughing strength. Therefore, in this study, the researchers aimed to investigate posture, constipation, core muscle stabilisation, respiratory muscle strength and function, cough strength and quality of life of women with urinary incontinence and to compare these parameters with women without urinary incontinence.

Inclusion criteria

• Inclusion Criteria for Women with Urinary Incontinence

• Being diagnosed with urinary incontinence
• Volunteer to participate in the study
• To be over 18 years of age
• To be able to communicate verbally and in written Turkish
• Inclusion Criteria for Women without Urinary Incontinence

• No symptoms of urinary incontinence
• Volunteer to participate in the study
• To be over 18 years of age
• Establish written and verbal communication in Turkish

Exclusion criteria

• The presence of any pathology that may affect pelvic floor function
• Trauma to the lumbopelvic, abdominal, thoracic or lower extremities within the last six months
• Urinary tract infection
• Grade III or higher urogenital prolapse
• Neurological or psychiatric illness
• Being pregnant