Knowledge and practice of pregnant women in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, concerning pelvic floor muscle exercises

Samah Himayda; Fatima Alhajaji; Mariah Almehmadi; Salihah Alqorashi; Raghad Alamer; Wasan Albeshri; Waad Alotaibi; Manar Almaliki

doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1755967877

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Original Article
Online Published: 20 Oct 2025

IJMDC. 2025; 9(9): 2067-2080

doi: 10.24911/IJMDC.51-1755967877

Knowledge and practice of pregnant women in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, concerning pelvic floor muscle exercises

Samah Himayda, Fatima Alhajaji, Mariah Almehmadi, Salihah Alqorashi, Raghad Alamer, Wasan Albeshri, Waad Alotaibi, Manar Almaliki.

Abstract
Objective: The study aimed to determine the knowledge and practices of women in Makkah city, Saudi Arabia, regarding pelvic floor muscle exercises (PFMEs) as well as the prevalence of pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) in this population.
Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted among 400 women aged 18-52 years in Makkah city. Data were collected through an online questionnaire distributed to pregnant women via social media. The survey included demographic characteristics, prevalence of PFD symptoms, and awareness of pelvic floor exercises.
Results: The study revealed that 64.3% of participants were unaware of PFME, and 72.0% had poor overall knowledge. Although 93.5% of women believed PFMEs were beneficial, misconceptions about their function and proper technique were prevalent. Only 24.0% of women performed PFMEs regularly, while 42.8% did not practice them at all. A highly significant association was found between knowledge and practice levels (p-value = 0.001); women with higher education and prior awareness were more likely to practice pelvic floor exercises (30.6%). Among the participants, 41.7% reported experiencing significant urinary incontinence, and 60.0% had defecation-related symptoms. Additionally, 70.3% reported improved general health with PFMEs, particularly in sexual satisfaction (61.0%) and pelvic pain relief (48.3%).
Conclusion: The findings indicated a clear lack of knowledge and practice of PFMEs among women in Makkah city, despite their potential benefits. Improving educational and healthcare support is crucial to reducing pelvic floor dysfunction and improving maternal health outcomes.

Key words: Knowledge, practice, pregnant women, Saudi Arabia, pelvic floor muscle exercises

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Pubmed Style

Himayda S, Alhajaji F, Almehmadi M, Alqorashi S, Alamer R, Albeshri W, Alotaibi W, Almaliki M. Knowledge and practice of pregnant women in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, concerning pelvic floor muscle exercises. IJMDC. 2025; 9(9): 2067-2080. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1755967877

Web Style

Himayda S, Alhajaji F, Almehmadi M, Alqorashi S, Alamer R, Albeshri W, Alotaibi W, Almaliki M. Knowledge and practice of pregnant women in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, concerning pelvic floor muscle exercises. https://www.ijmdc.com/?mno=279250 [Access: June 23, 2026]. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1755967877

AMA (American Medical Association) Style

Himayda S, Alhajaji F, Almehmadi M, Alqorashi S, Alamer R, Albeshri W, Alotaibi W, Almaliki M. Knowledge and practice of pregnant women in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, concerning pelvic floor muscle exercises. IJMDC. 2025; 9(9): 2067-2080. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1755967877

Vancouver/ICMJE Style

Himayda S, Alhajaji F, Almehmadi M, Alqorashi S, Alamer R, Albeshri W, Alotaibi W, Almaliki M. Knowledge and practice of pregnant women in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, concerning pelvic floor muscle exercises. IJMDC. (2025), [cited June 23, 2026]; 9(9): 2067-2080. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1755967877

Harvard Style

Himayda, S., Alhajaji, . F., Almehmadi, . M., Alqorashi, . S., Alamer, . R., Albeshri, . W., Alotaibi, . W. & Almaliki, . M. (2025) Knowledge and practice of pregnant women in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, concerning pelvic floor muscle exercises. IJMDC, 9 (9), 2067-2080. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1755967877

Turabian Style

Himayda, Samah, Fatima Alhajaji, Mariah Almehmadi, Salihah Alqorashi, Raghad Alamer, Wasan Albeshri, Waad Alotaibi, and Manar Almaliki. 2025. Knowledge and practice of pregnant women in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, concerning pelvic floor muscle exercises. International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries, 9 (9), 2067-2080. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1755967877

Chicago Style

Himayda, Samah, Fatima Alhajaji, Mariah Almehmadi, Salihah Alqorashi, Raghad Alamer, Wasan Albeshri, Waad Alotaibi, and Manar Almaliki. "Knowledge and practice of pregnant women in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, concerning pelvic floor muscle exercises." International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries 9 (2025), 2067-2080. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1755967877

MLA (The Modern Language Association) Style

Himayda, Samah, Fatima Alhajaji, Mariah Almehmadi, Salihah Alqorashi, Raghad Alamer, Wasan Albeshri, Waad Alotaibi, and Manar Almaliki. "Knowledge and practice of pregnant women in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, concerning pelvic floor muscle exercises." International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries 9.9 (2025), 2067-2080. Print. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1755967877

APA (American Psychological Association) Style

Himayda, S., Alhajaji, . F., Almehmadi, . M., Alqorashi, . S., Alamer, . R., Albeshri, . W., Alotaibi, . W. & Almaliki, . M. (2025) Knowledge and practice of pregnant women in Makkah, Saudi Arabia, concerning pelvic floor muscle exercises. International Journal of Medicine in Developing Countries, 9 (9), 2067-2080. doi:10.24911/IJMDC.51-1755967877

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