Pelvic floor muscle strength and body self-perception among Brazilian pregnant women

• Autores: Cinara Sacomori, Fernando Luiz Cardoso, Cristiane Vanderlinde
• Localización: Physiotherapy, ISSN 0031-9406, Vol. 96, Nº. 4, 2010, págs. 337-343
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Objectives To examine the relationship between pelvic floor muscle strength and body self-perception variables in pregnant women; and, more specifically, to determine the influence of the number of pregnancies (primigravidas vs multigravidas) on the strength of contraction of the pelvic floor muscles and on the body self-perception of pregnant women. Design Comparative cross-sectional research. Setting Public health centres from Florianópolis, Brazil. Participants Thirty-five pregnant women (18 primigravidas, 17 multigravidas) with a mean age of 25.5 (standard deviation 5.7) years. Main outcome measures Pelvic floor strength measured through manual palpation, and body self-perception using the Questionnaire of Corporeality and Human Sexuality. Results Pelvic floor muscle strength was positively correlated with schooling [rho (ρ) = 0.496] and body self-perception variables: finding the body beautiful (ρ = 0.476), finding the body sexy (ρ = 0.520), feeling that others find them sexy (ρ = 0.364), finding the body proportional (ρ = 0.412), touching the body generally (ρ = 0.554) and recognising the smell of the body (ρ = 0.454). Primigravidas found their bodies more beautiful and were more satisfied with their bodies. On a scale of 0 to 6, multigravid participants expressed a greater wish than primigravid participants to be thinner (median difference 2, 95% confidence interval 0–3, P = 0.03). Pelvic floor strength did not differ between groups. Conclusions The results suggest a relationship between pelvic floor muscle strength and body self-perception. Professionals involved in women’s health may have a role in helping their patients to understand their bodies. © 2010 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.