Do physiotherapy students know enough about the pelvic floor? The impact of university education: a cross-sectional study

Urinary incontinence (UI) significantly affects quality of life, and physiotherapists play a key role in its conservative management. This study aimed to assess the knowledge levels of physiotherapy and rehabilitation students in Türkiye regarding UI, pelvic floor health, and pelvic organ prolapse, and to identify factors influencing their knowledge. A multi-centred, cross-sectional survey was conducted between November 2022 and November 2023 among undergraduate physiotherapy students from 21 universities. Participants completed validated tools, including the Incontinence Quiz, Pelvic Floor Health Knowledge Quiz, and Prolapse and Incontinence Knowledge Questionnaire. Data were analysed using non-parametric tests, including Spearman correlation to assess relationships between variables. A total of 437 students participated. Fourth-year students demonstrated significantly higher knowledge scores compared to lower-year students ( p < 0.001). Students who had received specific UI education scored significantly better across all questionnaires ( p < 0.001). Female students outperformed male students in pelvic floor health and prolapse knowledge assessments ( p < 0.001). However, only 3.7% of students reported clinical experience with UI patients. Although knowledge levels improved progressively with academic advancement and targeted education, significant gaps remain, particularly in early academic years and clinical exposure. Structured and progressive integration of UI education within physiotherapy curricula is recommended. Future research should explore the impact of educational interventions on both theoretical knowledge and clinical competencies. ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05702164, registered on 27 January 2023, retrospectively registered. URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05702164 .