title: Pelvic floor muscle strength predicts stress urinary incontinence in primiparous women after vaginal delivery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to investigate obstetrical, neonatal, and clinical predictors of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) focusing on pelvic floor muscle (PFM) strength after vaginal delivery.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was used, and potential predictors of SUI were collected 5-7 months postpartum on 192 primiparous women. Predictors that reached significance in the bivariate analysis were entered into the Classification and Regression Tree that identified interactions among them and cutoff points to orient clinical practice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PFM strength was the strongest predictor of SUI. A combination of PFM strength ≤ 35.5 cmH(2)O, prior SUI, newborn weight > 2.988 g, and new onset of SUI in pregnancy predicted SUI. The model's accuracy was high (84%; p = 0.00).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  From the four predictors identified, three are modifiable by physical therapy. This could be offered to women targeting at PFM strength >35.5 cmH(2)O at the postpartum as well as at the prevention of SUI before and during pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Movement and Rehabilitation Sciences Program, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sabrina Mattos
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Baracho
authors.forename: Lucas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Barbosa da Silva
authors.forename: Elza
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Baracho
authors.forename: Agnaldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lopes da Silva Filho
authors.forename: Rosana Ferreira
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Sampaio
authors.forename: Elyonara
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mello de Figueiredo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D053580:Muscle Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D010298:Parity; D017773:Pelvic Floor / Q000503:physiopathology*; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011644:Puerperal Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D012372:ROC Curve; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014550:Urinary Incontinence, Stress / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation