Knowledge of Pelvic Floor Disorders in English- and Spanish-Speaking Postpartum Patients

Postpartum patients generally have limited knowledge of urinary incontinence (UI) and pelvic organ prolapse (POP). However, it is unclear what differences exist in knowledge level between English- and Spanish-speaking postpartum patients for each condition.

The objective of this study was to report rates of knowledge proficiency on UI and POP in English- and Spanish-speaking postpartum patients.

In this cross-sectional study of postpartum patients at a tertiary care center, knowledge was assessed using the English and Spanish language-validated Prolapse and Incontinence Knowledge Questionnaire. Knowledge proficiency on UI was defined as answering correctly ≥80% of the questions and for POP as answering correctly ≥50% of the questions, based on cutoffs implemented by Geynisman-Tan et al previously. Pelvic floor disorder symptom severity was assessed using the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory-20 and the Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire-7.

Fifty English- and 50 Spanish-speaking patients completed the survey questionnaires. Spanish-speaking patients had lower rates of UI proficiency compared to English-speaking patients (10.0% vs 40.0%, P  < 0.001) and were less likely to identify childbirth to be a risk factor for UI compared to English-speaking patients. For POP, proficiency levels were low but similar between English and Spanish speakers. Pelvic floor disorder symptom severity and impact on quality of life were low, did not differ between the 2 groups, and did not correlate with knowledge scores.

English- and Spanish-speaking postpartum patients have low knowledge of both UI and POP. Postpartum patients need educational resources to understand the risks and treatments for pelvic floor disorders.