Terminology of Pelvic Floor Muscle Function in Women With and Without Urinary Incontinence: A Systematic Review

Background. Pelvic floor muscle function (PFMF) is a target of the physical therapist intervention for women with urinary incontinence (UI). However, possible variations in PFMF terminology might hamper communication among researchers and health care professionals in Women's Health. Objective. The objective of this study was to investigate the terminology of PFMF regarding clear terms, conceptual definitions, and operational definitions. Data Sources. Data sources include PUBMED, CINAHL, LILACS, and SCIELO. Study Selection. Observational studies investigating any PFMF in women with or without UI, published in English, Spanish, or Portuguese from 2005 through 2017, were considered. Data Extraction. The risk of bias was assessed by a questionnaire on the quality of observational studies. Data on terminology were extracted as terms, conceptual definitions, and operational definitions of PFMF and were synthesized according to key words, key ideas, and key operationalization, respectively. Consistencies and variations were identified for the most frequently investigated PFMF. Data Synthesis. Sixty-four studies were included, and a low risk of bias was identified. All studies presented terms and operational definitions of PFMF, but only 29.7% presented conceptual definitions of those terms. One hundred ninety-six different terms referred to PFMF. According to similarities in terminology, 161 PFMF terms could be grouped under 26 terms; the other 35 were left ungrouped. Therefore, a total of 61 different PFMF terms were identified in the literature. Limitations. A limitation in the study was that only observational studies were included. Conclusions. A large variation in PFMF terminology was identified, precluding data gathering and meta-analysis. The lack of use of standardized terminology delays the progress of scientific knowledge and evidence-based practice dissemination. Efforts toward creating a collaborative, consensual terminology based on a sound framework are necessary.