Urinary incontinence in elite women's artistic gymnastics
A qualitative case study of athletes' perspectives and management strategies
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6460227 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Paloma Moro‐lópez‐menchero (0000-0003-4577-2680, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos), María Palacios‐Ceña (0000-0002-0048-9358, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, corresponding author), Stella M Gómez-Sánchez (0000-0002-7140-4286, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos), Lívia Gomes Viana-Meireles (0000-0002-5367-7774, Universidade Federal do Ceará), Ana San-Martín-Gómez (0000-0001-7115-5761, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos), Domingo Palacios-Ceña (0000-0003-0669-6339, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 114 |
| Pages | 103248-103248 |
| Publication date | 2025-11-20 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Women s Studies International Forum (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0277-5395 • E-ISSN: 1879-243X |
| Publisher | Elsevier BV (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.wsif.2025.103248 |
| OpenAlex | W4416431142 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 32 |
Urinary incontinence (UI) is the most common pelvic floor dysfunction in female athletes. This condition not only causes health problems but also reduces quality of life and can limit their athletic careers. The following research questions were posed: What is the perspective of the Spanish national gymnastics team on UI? How does UI influence the performance of their sport? This study aimed to explore the perspectives of a group of artistic gymnasts regarding UI, its impact on their sport, and the strategies they use to manage it. A holistic single case design was used under an interpretive paradigm. Fifteen gymnasts (mean age 18.1, SD 3.56) were recruited from the Spanish national artistic gymnastics team through purposive sampling. Unstructured and semi-structured interviews and researchers' notes were used for data collection. Sociodemographic and clinical data were also collected (Urinary Distress Inventory Short Form, Incontinence Impact Questionnaire Short Form). An inductive thematic analysis identified two key themes: (1) Discovering urinary incontinence (subthemes: ‘onset and perception of UI’ and ‘talking about UI’); and (2) Managing urine leakage (subthemes: ‘impact on athletic performance’ and ‘strategies for addressing UI’). Our results show that UI can affect the athletic performance of female gymnasts and that they lack information and strategies for its prevention and management. These findings may help establish programs for the early detection and management of UI.
Distress · Elite · Perception · Perspective (graphical) · Qualitative research · Quality of life (healthcare) · Thematic analysis · Urinary incontinence · Pelvic floor disorders treatments · Pressure Ulcer Prevention and Management · Urinary Bladder and Prostate Research
| Highly cited | No |
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