Knowledge and awareness of pelvic floor dysfunction among female medical students: A multicenter cross‐sectional study
Seçilay Güneş, Yeşim Akkoç, Necmettin Yıldız, Murat Ersöz, Haydar Gök, Ayşe Karan, Belgin Erhan, Aysun Özlü, Yasemin Yumuşakhuylu, Nalan Çapan, Selcen Kanyılmaz, Elif Balevi BaturAbstract
Objective
Given its high prevalence and risk for delayed recognition and management, this study compared knowledge and awareness of pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) between first‐ and fifth‐year female medical students and examined whether knowledge translates into health‐protective behavior.
Methods
This multicenter cross‐sectional study was conducted in nine medical faculties in Turkiye. Face‐to‐face self‐administered questionnares collected sociodemographic data, self‐reported awareness of urinary incontinence (UI) and pelvic organ prolapsus (POP) (yes/no), knowledge sources, and Prolapse and Incontinence Knowledge Questionnaire scores. Participants were also asked about UI symptoms, care‐seeking behavior, Kegel exercise instruction, and willingness to perform if instructed.
Results
Among 1148 female students ( n = 563 first year, n = 585 fifth year), awareness of UI and POP increased from 41.9% and 25% in first‐year to 97.9% and 96.1% in fifth‐year students, respectively. Knowledge scores were significantly higher in fifth‐year students (UI: 11.37 ± 1.08 vs. 8.57 ± 2.85; POP: 10.16 ± 1.08 vs. 6.23 ± 3.03; p < 0.001). POP knowledge scores were lower than UI scores in both groups. UI symptoms were reported by 5.6% of participants, of whom 67.2% had not sought medical care. Among students with UI, 49.4% were unwilling to perform Kegel exercises, despite having received relevant instruction. A weak but statistically significant correlation was observed between receiving Kegel training and exercise willingness ( r = 0.172, p < 0.001).
Conclusion
Medical education substantially improves knowledge and awareness of PFD; however, knowledge of POP consistently lags behind that of UI, and theoretical knowledge does not reliably translate into health‐protective behavior.