Knowledge, attitude and practice towards pelvic floor muscle training among childbearing women

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to identify knowledge, attitude, and practice of pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) and to identify the prevalence of urinary incontinence. Materials and methods: The method used was a cross-sectional study. Self-administered knowledge, attitude, and practice questionnaires were distributed among childbearing women attending Maternal & Child Health Clinics in the East Coast region of Malaysia. Results: The findings revealed that most respondents (N = 896) had good or moderate knowledge (80.1%) and attitudes (77.3%) regarding PFMT but most of them (87.2%) still lacked practice. However, there was no association between urinary incontinence and PFMT practice. On the contrary, married women showed a higher risk of urinary incontinence. Conclusions: The practice of pelvic floor muscle training should be recommended and emphasized to childbearing women by healthcare professionals.