INTRODUCTION
Pelvic floor disorders (PFD) in
women includes conditions that compromise urinary and faecal continence
mechanisms and pelvic organ support.1 Oestrogen
deprivation during menopause, natural aging, reproductive history,
factors increasing intra-abdominal pressure, and lifestyle may lead to
structural and functional failure in the pelvic
floor.1,2 Lifestyle choices, such as quality of
nutrition and eating behaviour, may have a significant effect on the
mechanisms of pelvic floor disorders.2
Some macro- and micronutrients,
such as protein3, vitamin D4 and
omega-3 fatty acids5, are important for proper
skeletal muscle function. Disordered eating may result in a lack of
these important nutrients, and therefore, may weaken skeletal muscles,
including the pelvic floor muscles.6 In addition, it
has been hypothesized that low-energy availability is associated with
development of PFD.7 When studying middle-aged women,
it is also worth noting that menopause status might be a specific factor
associated with eating behaviour.8 Oestrogens have an
important effect on normal food intake, and therefore they may have a
functional role in disordered eating.9
Previous studies have focused on
the effect of a single diet factor on pelvic floor disorders, but little
is known about the effects of eating behaviour in a broader sense.
Therefore, further studies related to the association of symptoms of
pelvic floor disorders with different aspects of eating behaviour are
warranted. The objective of the current study is to investigate
associations of five types of eating styles; restrictive eating and
overeating, snacking, health-conscious eating, emotional eating, and
externally cued eating, with perceived symptoms of pelvic floor
disorders, including stress urinary incontinence, urge urinary
incontinence, faecal incontinence, constipation or defecation
difficulties, and feeling of pelvic organ prolapse among middle-aged
women. We hypothesized that some eating styles may predispose to the
symptoms of pelvic floor disorders, especially to constipation or
defecation difficulties. In addition, eating styles that are likely to
predispose to overweight, may also predispose to the symptoms of pelvic
floor disorders. While other eating styles, such as health-conscious
eating, may have a beneficial effect on the overall health and therefore
might protect from the symptoms of pelvic floor disorders.