The influence of body position on intra-abdominal pressure

honors thesisCollege of HealthExercise & Sport ScienceJanet M. ShawIntroduction: Pelvic floor disorders (PFDs), including urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse, are common among women. The study of PFDs has yet to be fully explored within exercise and sport science. The measurement of intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) during physical activity may help establish whether certain activities are related a woman's likelihood of experiencing a PFD. Maximal IAP has been the primary measure reported in the literature. Less is known about time-dependent measures of IAP such as area under the curve (AUC) and first moment of the area (FMA). The aim of this case study was to explore how activities of varying intensity within a particular body position changed total maximal, maximal net, AUC, and FMA IAP. Methods: One young woman completed a variable activity session with a vaginally inserted pressure transducer. Baseline IAPs were determined for supine, seated, and standing positions. Four activities were selected from each position: stretching, low intensity, high intensity and clinical. The total maximal, maximal net, AUC, and FMA IAPs for each activity were visually compared to determine the influence of body position. Results: The mean baseline IAPs demonstrated lowest for supine and highest but no difference between seated and standing. Total maximal IAP for stretching and low intensity activities followed the same pattern as the baseline IAP. High intensity and clinical activities did not follow body position patterns for total maximal IAP. For AUC and FMA IAP, there was no discernible pattern associated with body position. Discussion: Body position IAP is helpful in understanding the maximal IAP for low intensity activities, but may not be helpful for high intensity activities. The inconsistent pattern of AUC and FMA IAP by body position is unique. These measures should be further explored for their potential relationship to PFDs