Assessment of Pelvic Floor Muscle Dysfunction and its Association with Quality of Care in Pregnant Women

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the knowledge about pelvic floor muscle dysfunction, prolapse and incontinence, and the quality of antenatal care among pregnant women.

Study Design: Descriptive correlational study
Place and Duration of Study: This study was conducted at the Rural Health Center Awan Dhaya Wala, Lahore from 15th December 2025 from 30th April 2026.

Methods: Three hundred and forty five pregnant women who accessed antenatal services were recruited by convenience sampling for 5 months following ethical approval. The use of validated and reliable instruments was employed in the collection of data.

Results: 91.0% having moderate pelvic floor muscle dysfunction, 5.8% mild and 3.2% severe distress. The most prominent domain was bladder. Lack of knowledge about prolapse and urinary incontinence was observed in 87.5%
of the respondents, while 77.7% indicated poor quality of antenatal care. Pelvic floor muscle dysfunction was significantly related to age, education, occupation, duration of marriage, body mass index, parity, gestational age
and mode of previous delivery (all p<0.05). There was no significant association found with smoking, episiotomy, family history of pelvic floor dysfunction or previous pelvic floor problems.

Conclusion: Pelvic floor muscle dysfunction is very common during pregnancy, and is associated with moderate distress and marked impact on quality of life for most women. In conclusion, the deficiencies in knowledge and suboptimal care from ante-natal services, point to a high priority need for specific education, better maternal services and early screening to improve maternal outcomes.