Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices, and Illness Perception of Female Outpatients With Chronic Pelvic Pain

Chronic pelvic pain (CPP), defined as pelvic discomfort lasting ≥ 6 months, substantially impairs women's quality of life. This study evaluated CPP-related knowledge, attitudes, practices (KAP), and illness perception among female outpatients.

A total of 597 female outpatients from the First Hospital of Jilin University were included between September and October 2024. Data were collected using a self-designed KAP questionnaire, the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (B-IPQ), and the Physical Activity Rating Scale-3. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to identify illness perception profiles, and path analysis using observed total scores was employed to analyze the associations between KAP variables.

Analysis of 597 responses revealed key characteristics: 31.2% were aged 45-54, 38.7% had pain for 2-5 years, and 80.2% reported low physical activity. Mean KAP scores were indicative of inadequate knowledge, positive attitudes, and moderate practices. LPA identified three illness perception classes. The high illness perception group had the highest B-IPQ and significantly higher proportions of severe pain (≥ 5), prior pelvic surgery, and low physical activity. Path analysis showed significant direct associations: Knowledge was positively associated with Attitude (β = 0.394) and Practice (β = 0.378), and Attitude was associated with Practice (β = 0.148). Knowledge also showed a significant indirect association with Practice through Attitude (β = 0.058), while the total association of Knowledge with Practice was β = 0.436. All paths were statistically significant (p < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression further identified knowledge, attitude, medium illness perception (Class 3), and experience of pelvic floor muscle exercises as independent predictors of good practice (practice score ≥ 60%).

Overall, participants demonstrated inadequate knowledge, positive attitudes, and moderate practices. Participants with high illness perception demonstrated the highest KAP scores despite more severe symptoms. These findings underscore the need for targeted educational interventions to enhance CPP-related KAP in this population.