Health & Medicine
Knowledge of Pelvic Floor Disorders Lower Among Women of Color
Kathleen Lees
First Posted: Oct 29, 2013 05:35 PM EDT
Pelvic floor disorders, including urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse, are often difficult to diagnose and there is often many misconceptions surrounding such health issues.
Yet a recent study shows that among women of color, there is a particular amount of knowledge missing regarding the disorders.
"If we can improve knowledge about pelvic floor disorders, we may be able to improve outcomes for all women," said corresponding author Marsha K. Guess, M.D., via a press release.
Guess stresses that pelvic floor disorders are often a major public health concern for about 25 percent of women 20 years and older in the United States who may suffer from at least one of the three most prevalent pelvic floor disorders, including the following: urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, and pelvic organ prolapse.
Recent epidemiologic studies show that a number of women with these disorders has increased significantly over the years, and the United States spends over $12 billion annually for the management and t4reatment of urinary incontinence alone.
The researchers set out to conduct a cross-sectional study of 431 women of all ages, races and socioeconomic levels. They found that over 71 percent of these women lacked knowledge about urinary incontinence and 48 percent lacked knowledge regarding pelvic organ prolapse.
"Improving knowledge about health problems has proven effective in promoting behavioral change, reducing levels of disease symptoms, and improving compliance with treatment for other chronic diseases," said Charisse Mandimika, a Yale School of Medicine student who was the study's first author, via the release. "This study shows that African-American women and non-white groups in general are not benefiting from this knowledge."
The study also showed that women with a history of the problem demonstrated greater overall knowledge of the health issue.
"Another very concerning finding is that the majority of women who experienced urinary incontinence had not received treatment," said Guess. "Culturally sensitive educational interventions are urgently needed to raise awareness, and address these disparities in knowledge head on.
What do you think?
More information regarding the study can be found via the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
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First Posted: Oct 29, 2013 05:35 PM EDT
Pelvic floor disorders, including urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse, are often difficult to diagnose and there is often many misconceptions surrounding such health issues.
Yet a recent study shows that among women of color, there is a particular amount of knowledge missing regarding the disorders.
"If we can improve knowledge about pelvic floor disorders, we may be able to improve outcomes for all women," said corresponding author Marsha K. Guess, M.D., via a press release.
Guess stresses that pelvic floor disorders are often a major public health concern for about 25 percent of women 20 years and older in the United States who may suffer from at least one of the three most prevalent pelvic floor disorders, including the following: urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, and pelvic organ prolapse.
Recent epidemiologic studies show that a number of women with these disorders has increased significantly over the years, and the United States spends over $12 billion annually for the management and t4reatment of urinary incontinence alone.
The researchers set out to conduct a cross-sectional study of 431 women of all ages, races and socioeconomic levels. They found that over 71 percent of these women lacked knowledge about urinary incontinence and 48 percent lacked knowledge regarding pelvic organ prolapse.
"Improving knowledge about health problems has proven effective in promoting behavioral change, reducing levels of disease symptoms, and improving compliance with treatment for other chronic diseases," said Charisse Mandimika, a Yale School of Medicine student who was the study's first author, via the release. "This study shows that African-American women and non-white groups in general are not benefiting from this knowledge."
The study also showed that women with a history of the problem demonstrated greater overall knowledge of the health issue.
"Another very concerning finding is that the majority of women who experienced urinary incontinence had not received treatment," said Guess. "Culturally sensitive educational interventions are urgently needed to raise awareness, and address these disparities in knowledge head on.
What do you think?
More information regarding the study can be found via the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone