Disfunções do assoalho pélvico: avaliação da prevalência e qualidade de vida das profissionais de enfermagem

Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify the Pelvic Floor Disorders (PFD) in the nursing workforce and to compare the prevalence between the groups, as well as their association with occupational habits and quality of life evaluation related to the Lower Urinary Tract (LUTS), Urinary Incontinence (UI), Pelvic Organ Prolapse (POP), female sexual dysfunctions and anorectal dysfunctions. This is a cross-sectional study involving nursing workers who worked in a tertiary public hospital during the period from April to August 2018. Data collection was performed with 264 professionals through an electronic form containing seven specific research tools of the complaints of dysfunction and their respective impact on the quality of life, with 105 questions in total. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22.0, using the Mann-Whitney test for the interval variables, the Chi-square test for the dichotomous variables and the Likelihood Ratio for the categorical variables. The study was submitted to the Research Ethics Committee of the institution where it was held and the Federal University of Ceará (UFC) and approved, respectively, under no. 2,435,205 and 2,396,335, in order to respect and comply with the recommendations Regulatory Research Standards. Of the total of 264 professionals, 180 were nursing technicians and 84 were nurses, most of them coming from medium complexity sectors, working for more than six months, in a single workplace, with a 60-hour workweek. The sample consisted mostly of young women (35.8 ± 11.6), reportedly non-white (n = 210, 79.5%) and overweight (BMI = 26.1 ± 4.6). LUTS were the most prevalent symptoms (n = 215; 81.4%), and nocturia was the complaint with the highest rate (n = 91; 34.5%). The other PFDs had a considerably lower prevalence and the symptoms were associated with both the working conditions and the sociodemographic, clinical and obstetric profile of the sample. The symptoms had little impact on women's quality of life, as SF-36 demonstrated a significant difference only in the "Vitality" domain. It is concluded, therefore, that there is a high prevalence of PFD in nurses in the hospital under study, but with little impact on the quality of life and that is possibly related to the occupation, although this association is not independent.