Core Stability in Women With and Without Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms: The CORE-LUTS Study

Area of Science:

• Urology
• Physical Therapy
• Women's Health

Background:

• Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are common in women.
• Core instability and reduced physical activity (PA) are potential contributing factors to LUTS.
• This study investigated the relationship between LUTS, core stability, and PA in adult women.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare core stability and PA levels in women with and without LUTS.
• To examine the correlation between LUTS symptom severity and core stability.
• To test the hypothesis that women with LUTS have poorer core stability and lower PA.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional cohort study of women aged 18-70 with and without LUTS.
• Participants completed questionnaires for LUTS (UDI-6), PA (Godin, RAQ), and underwent Core Score testing.
• Statistical analyses included Wilcoxon rank sum tests and regression models to compare groups and assess correlations.

Main Results:

• Women with LUTS were older and had higher parity, constipation, dyspareunia, and core exercise instruction.
• Adjusted analyses revealed significantly lower core stability scores in women with LUTS (p < 0.01).
• No significant differences in aerobic or resistance PA levels were found between groups; increased LUTS severity correlated with worse core stability (p < 0.01).

Conclusions:

• Women experiencing LUTS demonstrate poorer core stability compared to controls.
• Physical activity levels (aerobic and resistance) did not differ between groups.
• Worse core stability is associated with increased LUTS severity, warranting further investigation into causality.