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Sport and pelvic floor dysfunction in male and female athletes: A scoping review
Author(s) -
Giagio Silvia,
Salvioli Stefano,
Pillastrini Paolo,
Innocenti Tiziano
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
neurourology and urodynamics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.918
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1520-6777
pISSN - 0733-2467
DOI - 10.1002/nau.24564
Subject(s) - medicine , athletes , urinary incontinence , pelvic floor dysfunction , physical therapy , population , pelvic floor , pelvic pain , critical appraisal , inclusion (mineral) , elite athletes , inclusion and exclusion criteria , epidemiology , gynecology , alternative medicine , surgery , pathology , psychology , social psychology , environmental health
Aims The aims of the present scoping review were to systematically map and summarize findings to identify any study that reported epidemiological data on pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) among male and female athletes. Methods Six medical databases were searched up to March 2020. No language, study design, and publication type restrictions were applied. Additional studies were identified through gray literature and the reference lists of articles were screened. The results were presented numerically and thematically. Results A total of 4358 records were identified with an initial search. A hundred studies met the criteria for inclusion. The number of studies published annually increased over the years. Cross‐sectional studies ( n = 62), urinary incontinence ( n = 64), multiple sports ( n = 58), and female athletes ( n = 83) are the most investigated study design, condition, sport, and population, respectively. Only 12 studies explored PFD in the male population. Authors focused selectively on elite athletes in 21 studies. Conclusions This is the first scoping review to provide a comprehensive overview of the topic. The major gaps in the literature include studies focused on male participants, other PFD (e.g., anal incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, and pelvic pain), with appropriate study design. This review may be useful to raise awareness of the issue among clinicians and stakeholders in sport and it may represent a starting point for future research.