Objective Young nulliparous female athletes do not present all of the usual pelvic floor disorders (PFDs) risk factors (eg, ageing, menopause, childbirth), and thus constitute a population for whom management strategies could differ from the general population. We aimed to map the available evidence and gap about epidemiology, aetiology, care and preventive strategies of PFDs in young nulliparous female athletes in athletics. Design Scoping review. Data sources PubMed, Pedro, Embase and Web of Science were searched from inception to 12 January 2026. Eligibility criteria for selecting studies All types of peer-reviewed articles on PFDs in young nulliparous female athletes in athletics. Results 29 articles were included: 14 reviews and 15 original studies. According to the Translating Research into Injury Prevention Practice framework, 24 (83%) articles were classified in stage 1, 23 (79%) in stage 2, 11 (38%) in stage 3, 1 (3%) in stage 5 and none in stages 4 and 6. Prevalence of urinary incontinence ranged from 18.2% to 58.3%. The mechanisms and risk factors of PFDs were complex and inter-related, including a variety of intrinsic factors (eg, eating disorders, low energy availability, behaviour and knowledge), extrinsic factors related to sports practice and environmental factors (eg, relationships with staff, access to education). A significant gap was identified: there are currently no articles nor trials evaluating the efficacy of care or prevention of PFDs. Conclusion PFDs affect a large number of young nulliparous female athletes, with population-specific risk factors and mechanisms, which suggest population-specific care and prevention strategies.
Gignoux et al. (Wed,) studied this question.