INTRODUCTION
Pelvic floor disorders (PFD) in women includes conditions that compromise urinary and faecal continence mechanisms and pelvic organ support.1 Oestrogen deprivation during menopause, natural aging, reproductive history, factors increasing intra-abdominal pressure, and lifestyle may lead to structural and functional failure in the pelvic floor.1,2 Lifestyle choices, such as quality of nutrition and eating behaviour, may have a significant effect on the mechanisms of pelvic floor disorders.2
Some macro- and micronutrients, such as protein3, vitamin D4 and omega-3 fatty acids5, are important for proper skeletal muscle function. Disordered eating may result in a lack of these important nutrients, and therefore, may weaken skeletal muscles, including the pelvic floor muscles.6 In addition, it has been hypothesized that low-energy availability is associated with development of PFD.7 When studying middle-aged women, it is also worth noting that menopause status might be a specific factor associated with eating behaviour.8 Oestrogens have an important effect on normal food intake, and therefore they may have a functional role in disordered eating.9
Previous studies have focused on the effect of a single diet factor on pelvic floor disorders, but little is known about the effects of eating behaviour in a broader sense. Therefore, further studies related to the association of symptoms of pelvic floor disorders with different aspects of eating behaviour are warranted. The objective of the current study is to investigate associations of five types of eating styles; restrictive eating and overeating, snacking, health-conscious eating, emotional eating, and externally cued eating, with perceived symptoms of pelvic floor disorders, including stress urinary incontinence, urge urinary incontinence, faecal incontinence, constipation or defecation difficulties, and feeling of pelvic organ prolapse among middle-aged women. We hypothesized that some eating styles may predispose to the symptoms of pelvic floor disorders, especially to constipation or defecation difficulties. In addition, eating styles that are likely to predispose to overweight, may also predispose to the symptoms of pelvic floor disorders. While other eating styles, such as health-conscious eating, may have a beneficial effect on the overall health and therefore might protect from the symptoms of pelvic floor disorders.