Prevalence of Pelvic Floor Dysfunction and Impact on the Quality of Life in Epidemiological Evaluation of Bariatric Patients

Background: Obesity represents a critical health issue and it is also a risk factor for pelvic floor disorders (PFD). It is important to screen patients for obesity to assess their quality of life (QOL) and reduce health care costs. Methods: We evaluated the prevalence of PFD, such as urinary incontinence (UI), fecal incontinence (FI), constipation, rectal and female pelvic organ prolapse, and also the QOL of obese patients referred to our center. Results: The most prevalent PFD was constipation, affecting 18% (n = 71) of the patients, 11% for FI (n = 43), and 17% for UI (n = 67). The QOL, according to the Short Form-36 results, was worse in the obese group with PFD than the obese patients without PFD (p < 0.01). In only one subscale, mental health, the difference was not statistically different. Conclusions: The prevalence of PFD was almost similar between the obese and the control group. However, obese patients with PFD present a lower QOL than obese patients without PFD. This aspect is essential to investigate on embarrassing health problems, often hidden by patients, to improve QOL.