Relationship between pelvic health variables and lower limb performance in middle-aged and elderly women: A cross-sectional study
Aging. Elderly. Physical performance. Pelvic Floor Disorders. Parity.
The decline in physical performance of lower limbs is one of the main factors responsible for the increase in falls and disabilities in the elderly population, being highly prevalent in female aging. However, little is known about the relationships between variables inherent to women, such as pelvic health and its relationship with physical performance. Objective: To analyze the relationship between pelvic health variables and lower limb performance in middle-aged and elderly women. Methods: Analytical, observational, cross-sectional study conducted in the municipality of Santa Cruz and Parnamirim-RN. The sample consisted of women from the community, between 40 and 80 years old. Participants were assessed for socioeconomic and demographic aspects, clinical evaluation (BMI and comorbidities), gynecological and obstetric history, and physical performance of lower limbs (SPPB, flexion strength, and knee extension). The data were stored and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software, version 22.0. In descriptive statistics, measures of central tendency and dispersion (mean and standard deviation), relative and absolute frequencies were used. For inferential statistics, Student T-tests and Analysis of variance were used to compare the means. Correlations were verified by Pearson's test, with multiple linear regression being performed, to create models for the variables of physical performance of lower limbs and predictors of pelvic health. Results: A total of 581 women participated in the study, with an average of 54.8 ± 9.4 years of age. The variables that were related to the physical performance of the lower limbs were age for the knee flexion variables (β = -0.14; p = <0.001), knee extension (β = -0.15; p = <0.001 ) and SPPB (β = -0.05; p = <0.001); practice of physical activity for knee flexion (β = 1.84; p = <0.001), knee extension (β = 1.82; p = 0.008) and SPPB (β = 0.39; p = <0.001 ); stable joint for knee flexion (β = -1.30; p = 0.005); and number of deliveries for the variables knee extension (β = -0.41; p = 0.009) and SPPB (β = -0.08; p = 0.002). Conclusion: The predictive factors for the decline in the performance of lower limbs were age, family income, stable union, physical activity, and a number of deliveries, the latter being the only pelvic health variable that was associated with the worse performance of lower limbs.