title: Prevention of pelvic floor disorders: international urogynecological association research and development committee opinion.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pelvic floor disorders (PFD), including urinary incontinence, anal incontinence, and pelvic organ prolapse, are common and have a negative effect on the quality of life of women. Treatment is associated with morbidity and may not be totally satisfactory. Prevention of PFDs, when possible, should be a primary goal. The purpose of this paper is to summarise the current literature and give an evidence-based review of the prevention of PFDs METHODS: A working subcommittee from the International Urogynecological Association (IUGA) Research and Development (R&D) Committee was formed. An initial document addressing the prevention of PFDs was drafted, based on a review of the English-language literature. After evaluation by the entire IUGA R&D Committee, revisions were made. The final document represents the IUGA R&D Committee Opinion on the prevention of PFDs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This R&D Committee Opinion reviews the literature on the prevention of PFDs and summarises the findings with evidence-based recommendations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pelvic floor disorders have a long latency, and may go through periods of remission, thus making causality difficult to confirm. Nevertheless, prevention strategies targeting modifiable risk factors should be incorporated into clinical practice before the absence of symptomatology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, PO Box 11-0236, Riad El-Solh, Beirut, 1107 2020, Lebanon. tb14@aub.edu.lb.
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bazi
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.affiliation: Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, Brighton, England, UK.
authors.forename: Sharif
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ismail
authors.affiliation: Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Kari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bø
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Urology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Alejandra M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Zapata
authors.affiliation: Directorate of Women's Health, Medway NHS Foundation Trust, Gillingham, UK.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Duckett
authors.affiliation: Women's Pelvic Specialty Care of New Mexico, University of New Mexico Hospital, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
authors.forename: Dorothy
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kammerer-Doak
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D059952:Pelvic Floor Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*
keywords: IUGA Research and Development Committee Opinion; Obstetric anal sphincter injuries; Pelvic floor disorders; Pelvic organ prolapse; Prevention; Urinary incontinence