Prior research on maternal postpartum care, the transition to motherhood, pelvic floor dysfunction, and pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) has revealed that postpartum women are often denied the basic information, instruction, and preventive strategies necessary for optimal postbirth rehabilitation and psychological well-being. Employing a dual framework of self-determination theory and personal growth initiative (PGI) theory, this quantitative study utilized a cross-sectional design to investigate if autonomy, competence, and relatedness satisfaction predicted PGI in postpartum women. Differences in autonomy, competence, relatedness, and PGI between PFMT practicing and nonpracticing postpartum women were also examined. A web-based survey method was employed to collect data from 229 postpartum women, which consisted of 121 women not practicing PFMT and 108 women practicing PFMT. The Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale measured autonomy, competence, and relatedness. The PGI Scale-II measured PGI. Standard multiple regression and 4 independent-samples t tests were used to analyze the data. Results indicated that autonomy, competence, and relatedness predicted PGI. There were no significant mean differences between PFMT practicing and nonpracticing women. These findings have implications for positive social change such that the medical community and policy makers can utilize the fulfillment of postpartum women's needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness to improve women's odds for optimal adjustment and adaptation to life after childbirth.

Urinary incontinence is a health condition that is associated with involuntary leakage of urine. Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) describes involuntary leakage of urine on effort or exertion and can impact one’s ability to participate in activities and affect quality of life. Furthermore, clinical management of this health condition is challenging as individuals who experience urinary incontinence often do not report this concern to a health care provider. Stress urinary incontinence is not typically a health concern associated with young, healthy athletes. However, researchers have begun to examine the presence of this health condition amongst both a younger population and in athletes. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to assess the prevalence of stress urinary incontinence in collegiate female athletes. This study involved the development of an electronic survey tool to assess the prevalence of SUI in the female collegiate athlete. Female collegiate athletes from six different NCAA Division I schools were asked to complete the survey. The overall response rate for the survey was 32.6% (333/1020). Results indicate that SUI does in fact occur in NCAA Division I collegiate female athletes. Overall, 68.5% of female collegiate athletes surveyed reported ever experiencing SUI. During daily life activities (cough, sneeze, laugh), 54.2% of female collegiate athletes reported experiencing SUI. During participation in their sport, 40.0% of female collegiate athletes reported experiencing SUI, referred to as sports-related SUI. When reporting SUI experienced during either sport participation or during other exercise-based activities, 58.2% of female collegiate athletes reported SUI. The proportion of female athletes reporting sports-related SUI varied by sport. The highest prevalence of leakage in sport was reported by gymnasts (80%) and the lowest prevalence was reported by those who participated in rifle (0%). Over half (52.3%) of female athletes who reported sports-related SUI said their symptoms first began in high school. While majority of female collegiate athletes stated they did not avoid their sport because of SUI, one-fifth (20.5%) of athletes with sports-related SUI reported they alter how they move in their sport out of concern for leakage. The impact of sports-related SUI on other aspects of life (family, social, or school life) were reported to be minimal. Athletes who experience sports-related SUI are most likely to tell either a teammate (49%) or no one (36%). Very few female athletes have told someone in healthcare about this concern: doctor (3%), athletic trainer (4%); physical therapist (1%). Furthermore, only 3% of female collegiate athlete with sports-related SUI reported ever seeking treatment and only 25.8% reported they would find value in seeing a healthcare provider to discuss SUI. Most (76.7%) female collegiate athletes, whether they reported SUI or not, stated they had never been instructed on exercises to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles and 60.6% reported they would find educational programs involving exercises to decrease or prevent SUI beneficial. In conclusion, SUI does occur in the female collegiate athlete and is often not reported to healthcare providers. Based on this information, the general practice of screening athletes for relevant health conditions during pre-participation physicals may need to include additional questions for SUI. Further investigation needs to explore how to best engage and educate female collegiate athletes on the subject of SUI and how to successfully communicate with and address those with the condition.

Pelvic floor disorder is an emerging research area and is highlighted in many pelvic floor studies. Assessment methods for this type of injury are lacking and new methods for prevention and diagnosis are needed. Pelvic floor disorders are common among women and can lead to suffering for the patient. Levator ani muscle injuries are the main cause for pelvic floor disorders. This muscle group is an anisotropic skeletal muscle that helps support the pelvic viscera. Assessment of this muscle is difficult due to its complex geometry and location. Therefore, two muscle phantoms were constructed to mimic different properties of the levator ani muscle. The muscle phantoms provided more availability and a more controlled setting. The muscle phantoms were examined using ultrasound-based shear wave elastography which is an elastography method that can help determine the elasticity of tissue. A PVA-graphite phantom and a water-based gelatine-graphite phantom, both with fishing lines network as fibers for anisotropy, were constructed in this project. Shear wave elastography results of the PVA phantom indicated no anisotropy but visually resembled a muscle. Although not achieving anisotropy, the shear modulus of the PVA did match the shear modulus of skeletal muscle tissue. Shear wave elastography results of the gelatine phantom indicated anisotropy but visually did not resemble a muscle due to the low shear modulus of the gelatine. A 3D model of the female bony pelvis, that was provided for this project, was measured, and compared with reference value of previous study for future construction and 3D printing of the model. Results of measurements showed similarities between the 3D model and the female pelvis except for the sagittal outlet which had a deviant value. For future work, the muscle phantom can be developed by applying the complex geometry of the levator ani muscle, assembly of the muscle phantom, and the 3D rendering of the pelvis. The combination of these two parts provides a more complete phantom where shear wave elastography can be applied in the same way as in female patients. / Bäckenbottenbesvär är ett framväxande forskningsområde och lyfts fram i många bäckenbottenstudier. Bedömningsmetoder för denna typ av skador saknas och det behövs nya metoder för förebyggande och diagnostik. Bäckenbottenbesvär är vanliga bland kvinnor och kan leda till lidande för patienten. Levator ani muskelskador är den främsta orsaken till bäckenbottensjukdomar. Denna muskelgrupp är en anisotrop skelettmuskel som hjälper till att stödja inälvorna i bäckenet. Bedömning av denna muskel är svår på grund av dess komplexa geometri och läge. Därför konstruerades två muskelfantomer för att efterlikna olika egenskaper hos levator ani-muskeln. Muskelfantomerna gav mer tillgänglighet och en mer kontrollerad inställning. Muskelfantomerna undersöktes med hjälp av ultraljudsbaserad skjuvvågselastografi som är en metod som kan hjälpa till att bestämma vävnadens elasticitet. En PVA-grafitfantom och en vattenbaserad gelatin-grafitfantom, båda med fiskelinsnätverk som fibrer för anisotropi, konstruerades i detta projekt. Resultat från skjuvvågselastografi på PVA-fantomen indikerade ingen anisotropi, men liknade visuellt en muskel. Även då anisotropi inte uppnåddes, så matchade skjuvmodulen för PVA skjuvmodulen för skelettmuskelvävnad. Resultat från skjuvvågselastografi på gelatinfantomen indikerade anisotropi dock visade resultatet ingen visuell liknelse av en skelettmuskel på grund av gelatinets låga skjuvmodul. En 3D modell av bäckenbenet, som förseddes det här projektet, mättes och jämfördes med referensvärde av tidigare studie för framtid 3D friformsframställning av modellen. Resultat av mätningar visade på liknelser mellan 3D modellen och det kvinnliga bäckenbenet förutom sagittal outlet som hade ett avvikande värde. Inför fortsättning av det här projektet kan en utveckling av muskel fantomen ske genom applicering av den komplexa geometrin hos levator ani muskeln samt sammansättning av muskel fantomen och 3D framställningen av bäckenbenet. Sammansättningen av dessa två delar ger en mer komplett fantom där skjuvvågselastografi kan appliceras på samma sätt som hos kvinnliga patienter. / Ja