Afshari Poorandokht, Abedi Parvin, Majdinasab Nastaran, Tafakh Samaneh, Haghighizadeh Mohammadhossein
Midwifery Department, Nursing Care Research Center in Chronic Diseases, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
Midwifery Department, Menopause Andropause Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
Front Neurol. 2025 Jan 13;15:1514157. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1514157. eCollection 2024.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a debilitating autoimmune disease that mostly affects women.
In this study we evaluated the relationship of pelvic muscle strengths with urinary incontinence and quality of life in women with MS.
In this cross-sectional study 87 women with MS were recruited. Data collected using a demographic questionnaire, the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Urinary Incontinence Short Form (ICIQ-UI SF), and Quality of Life Questionnaire (QOL-SF-36). A perineometer was used to measure the strengths of pelvic muscle. Data analyzed using Pearson correlation test, and multiple linear regression tests.
There was a positive correlation between pelvic muscle strengths with all domains of quality of life except for body pain and role limitations due to emotional problems. A significant inverse correlation was found between urinary incontinence and all domains of quality of life except for body pain. Also, an inverse correlation was found between muscle strength and urinary incontinence ( = -0.838, < 0.001). A one-unit increase in the quality of physical life was associated with a 0.15-unit increase in the strengths of pelvic floor muscles ( = 0.035). On the other hand, each additional year of marriage or disease duration significantly weakened pelvic floor muscles by 0.24 and 0.509 units, respectively ( < 0.05).
Our findings showed that pelvic muscle strength, urinary incontinence, and quality of life were significantly interrelated among female patients with MS. An inverse correlation was also found between muscle strength and urinary incontinence. Duration of marriage and length of MS disease were inversely associated with the strength of the pelvic floor muscles. Health providers are recommended to educate MS patients on the importance of pelvic muscle strengths.
多发性硬化症（MS）是一种使人衰弱的自身免疫性疾病，主要影响女性。
在本研究中，我们评估了MS女性患者盆底肌肉力量与尿失禁及生活质量之间的关系。
在这项横断面研究中，招募了87名MS女性患者。使用人口统计学调查问卷、国际尿失禁咨询问卷-尿失禁简表（ICIQ-UI SF）和生活质量问卷（QOL-SF-36）收集数据。使用会阴压力计测量盆底肌肉力量。数据采用Pearson相关检验和多元线性回归检验进行分析。
除身体疼痛和因情感问题导致的角色限制外，盆底肌肉力量与生活质量的所有领域均呈正相关。尿失禁与除身体疼痛外的生活质量所有领域均呈显著负相关。此外，肌肉力量与尿失禁之间也呈负相关（r = -0.838，P < 0.001）。身体生活质量每提高一个单位，盆底肌肉力量增加0.15个单位（P = 0.035）。另一方面，结婚或疾病持续时间每增加一年，盆底肌肉力量分别显著减弱0.24和0.509个单位（P < 0.05）。
我们的研究结果表明，MS女性患者的盆底肌肉力量、尿失禁和生活质量之间存在显著的相互关系。肌肉力量与尿失禁之间也呈负相关。婚姻持续时间和MS疾病时长与盆底肌肉力量呈负相关。建议医疗服务提供者向MS患者宣传盆底肌肉力量的重要性。
