{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]],"date-time":"2026-08-19T17:31:32Z","timestamp":1787160692077,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":63,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,13]],"date-time":"2026-02-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1770940800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Public Health"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Pelvic floor disorders (PFDs), including urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse, represent a widespread public health concern with substantial implications for functional status and quality of life. Evidence supports the efficacy of prehabilitation\u2014a proactive strategy focused on preventing dysfunction before clinical onset\u2014through screening and early intervention. However, its implementation in asymptomatic populations remains limited, largely due to a pervasive \u201cawareness-action gap\u201d wherein knowledge fails to translate into behavioral engagement. This perspective article systematically examines the cognitive, psychosocial, and structural determinants that act as barriers or facilitators to participation in pelvic floor health initiatives. By integrating the Health Belief Model and Nudge Theory, this study investigates factors influencing health engagement. The framework identifies major barriers, including asymptomatic complacency, knowledge gaps, low self-efficacy, and systemic obstacles. It also highlights potent facilitators, such as targeted message framing, cognitive schema alignment, credible messengers, and purposeful choice architecture. We further propose a multilevel framework for bridging this gap, combining targeted health communication, clinical integration of preventive protocols, digital health tools, and supportive policy reforms. Ultimately, transforming awareness into sustained action will require a coordinated effort across health systems, incorporating evidence-based behavioral interventions and aligning incentives to establish pelvic health promotion as a public health priority.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2026.1700346","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,13]],"date-time":"2026-02-13T15:24:33Z","timestamp":1770996273000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Bridging the awareness-action gap in pelvic floor prehabilitation: cognitive barriers and facilitators for asymptomatic populations\u2014a perspective"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"14","author":[{"given":"Chun-hua","family":"Wu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Gynecology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University","place":["Guangzhou, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xiao-xiao","family":"Huang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Gynecology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University","place":["Guangzhou, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ling-mei","family":"Tan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Gynecology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University","place":["Guangzhou, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Wei-hong","family":"Chen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Urological Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University","place":["Guangzhou, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Li","family":"Zheng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Urological Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University","place":["Guangzhou, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zhe-cheng","family":"Zeng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Reproductive Medicine Center, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University","place":["Guangzhou, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,13]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"9878","DOI":"10.1038\/s41598-022-13501-w","article-title":"Prevalence of pelvic floor disorders in adult women being seen in a primary care setting and associated risk factors","volume":"12","author":"Kenne","year":"2022","journal-title":"Sci Rep"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1180907","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2023.1180907","article-title":"Influence of pelvic floor disorders on quality of life in women","volume":"11","author":"Peinado Molina","year":"2023","journal-title":"Front Public 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