{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,16]],"date-time":"2026-09-16T01:44:58Z","timestamp":1789523098214,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,3,25]],"date-time":"2024-03-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1711324800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Operative Program FEDER 2014\u20132020","award":["1380358"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["1380358"]}]},{"name":"Operative Program FEDER 2014\u20132020","award":["FPU20\/01567"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["FPU20\/01567"]}]},{"name":"Ministry of Economics and Knowledge of the Government of Andaluc\u00eda","award":["1380358"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["1380358"]}]},{"name":"Ministry of Economics and Knowledge of the Government of Andaluc\u00eda","award":["FPU20\/01567"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["FPU20\/01567"]}]},{"name":"Ministry of Universities Government of Spain","award":["1380358"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["1380358"]}]},{"name":"Ministry of Universities Government of Spain","award":["FPU20\/01567"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["FPU20\/01567"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Pelvic floor dysfunction encompasses conditions like urinary and fecal incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, and pelvic pain, significantly affecting women\u2019s quality of life. Despite its prevalence, few studies have adopted a qualitative approach to understanding women\u2019s perceptions and emotions regarding these issues. This study aims to delve into how women with pelvic floor disorders perceive their condition and its impact on their daily lives. Methods: We analyzed qualitative data from interviews with 160 women suffering from pelvic floor dysfunctions. Using inductive qualitative content analysis, we systematically examined the data to identify variations, differences, and similarities. Results: The analysis revealed four primary themes in the women\u2019s narratives: \u201cPhysical Impacts\u201d, \u201cEmotional and Psychological Impacts\u201d, \u201cSocial and Relational Impacts\u201d, and \u201cSexual Health Impacts\u201d, along with 12 subthemes. The findings predominantly highlight how pelvic floor dysfunctions detrimentally affect women\u2019s quality of life and emotional well-being, instilling fear and insecurity in daily activities, compounded by sleep disturbances and sexual dysfunction. Conclusions: Women living with pelvic floor dysfunction face multifaceted challenges that adversely affect various aspects of their lives, diminishing their overall quality of life. This includes notable impacts on sleep, physical, and sexual activities. However, not all affected women report these issues, often due to fear of stigma, choosing instead to conceal their struggles in an effort to maintain an appearance of normalcy.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm13071896","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,3,25]],"date-time":"2024-03-25T12:32:36Z","timestamp":1711369956000},"page":"1896","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":34,"title":["A Qualitative Exploration of the Perceptions of Women Living with Pelvic Floor Disorders and Factors Related to Quality of Life"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6239-2842","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Juli\u00e1n","family":"Rodr\u00edguez-Almagro","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nursing, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy, Ciudad Real Faculty of Nursing, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 13001 Ciudad Real, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9100-1134","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Antonio","family":"Hern\u00e1ndez Mart\u00ednez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nursing, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy, Ciudad Real Faculty of Nursing, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 13001 Ciudad Real, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8752-459X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sergio","family":"Mart\u00ednez-V\u00e1zquez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nursing, University of Jaen, 23071 Jaen, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3543-5170","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Roc\u00edo Adriana","family":"Peinado Molina","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nursing, University of Jaen, 23071 Jaen, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6463-5556","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alberto","family":"Bermejo-Cantarero","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nursing, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy, Ciudad Real Faculty of Nursing, University of Castilla-La Mancha, 13001 Ciudad Real, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0878-8635","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Juan Miguel","family":"Mart\u00ednez-Galiano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Nursing, University of Jaen, 23071 Jaen, Spain"},{"name":"Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), 28029 Madrid, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,3,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1311","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.300.11.1311","article-title":"Prevalence of symptomatic pelvic floor disorders in US women","volume":"300","author":"Nygaard","year":"2008","journal-title":"JAMA"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"143","DOI":"10.4103\/GMIT.GMIT_7_19","article-title":"Current treatments for female pelvic floor dysfunctions","volume":"8","author":"Hong","year":"2019","journal-title":"Gynecol. 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