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Advances in Women’s Health and Pelvic Health: Lifelong Care
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Advances in Women’s Health and Pelvic Health: Lifelong Care

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Health Care Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 4482

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Paula Clara Ribeiro Santos

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physiotherapy, School of Health Technology of Porto, Polytechnic Institute of Porto, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal
Interests: physical activity throughout the life cycle; health promotion; health literacy; women’s health; occupational health; community health; public health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Diana Salvador Bernardo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Physiotherapy, School of Health Technology of Bragança, Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal
Interests: physical activity in pregnancy; health promotion; health literacy; women’s health; public health

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Scientific research in women’s health and pelvic health is rapidly evolving, now integrating dynamic, innovative therapies and multidisciplinary approaches. This field focuses on the prevention of dysfunctions, the promotion of health, the improvement of health literacy, and the implementation of educational therapies, treatments, and rehabilitation strategies. The aim of this field is to optimize women’s clinical outcomes, quality of life, and well-being throughout all stages of their life.

Intervention in women’s health is challenging due to anatomical, hormonal, and functional factors. Conditions such as pelvic floor dysfunction, endometriosis, urinary incontinence, sexual dysfunction, pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and menopause represent complex and impactful clinical issues. Innovations in pelvic health care could be exploited to address women’s individual needs, promoting advances in preventive and therapeutic care.

The scope of this Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, the following topics:

  • Educational, preventive, and rehabilitation programs for pelvic dysfunctions.
  • Technologies and innovations, as well as future trends in women’s health.
  • Health promotion during pregnancy and postpartum, addressing both healthy women and those with associated conditions.
  • Interventions in women’s health throughout all life stages.

This collection seeks to provide a platform for the dissemination of innovative research and inspire novel approaches to comprehensive care and the empowerment of women worldwide.

Dr. Paula Clara Ribeiro Santos
Dr. Diana Salvador Bernardo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • pelvic
  • pregnancy
  • postpartum
  • menopause
  • health promotion
  • physical activity
  • urinary incontinence

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 595 KB  
Article
Physical Activity During Pregnancy: Associations Between Levels and Types of Physical Activity and Low Back Pain–Related Disability in Portuguese Pregnant Women
by Isabel Teixeira, Paula Clara Santos, Clarinda Festas and Diana Bernardo
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2026, 23(2), 245; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph23020245 - 15 Feb 2026
Viewed by 1055
Abstract
Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most prevalent musculoskeletal conditions during pregnancy and frequently impairs daily living activities and quality of life. The association between different levels and types of physical activity (PA) and LBP-related functional disability remains insufficiently explored. This [...] Read more.
Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most prevalent musculoskeletal conditions during pregnancy and frequently impairs daily living activities and quality of life. The association between different levels and types of physical activity (PA) and LBP-related functional disability remains insufficiently explored. This study aimed to examine the association between PA levels and types and functional disability among pregnant women with LBP. A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted involving 192 Portuguese pregnant women. Data were collected through an online questionnaire comprising the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). Most participants engaged predominantly in light-intensity or sedentary activity (69.1%), with minimal participation in vigorous activity (0.8%). Functional disability was generally mild (mean ODI = 11.5 ± 7.35); however, 42.2% of participants reported moderate disability and 11.0% severe disability. Advancing gestational age showed weak associations with increased domestic activity (r = 0.146, p = 0.044), decreased occupational activity (r = −0.295, p = 0.001), and higher functional disability scores (r = 0.142, p = 0.049). Parity was associated with differences in total PA levels (p = 0.005) and domestic activity (p = 0.001). Higher ODI scores were weakly associated with light-intensity and sedentary activity (r = 0.144, p = 0.047), whereas severe disability demonstrated a moderate association with sedentary behavior (r = 0.529, p = 0.014). Overall, lower levels of PA, particularly sedentary behavior, were weakly associated with higher LBP-related disability; however, the observed associations were generally weak and should be interpreted with caution considering the cross-sectional design. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Women’s Health and Pelvic Health: Lifelong Care)
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14 pages, 531 KB  
Article
A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of Extracorporeal Vaginal Peflex Weights for Enhancing Pelvic Floor Function and Relieving Stress Urinary Incontinence
by Avital Bar Chen, Tal Fligelman and Leonid Kalichman
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2025, 22(11), 1703; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22111703 - 11 Nov 2025
Viewed by 1947
Abstract
Background: Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is the involuntary loss of urine during increased abdominal pressure, affecting 46% of adult women, particularly those over 40. Pelvic floor muscle (PFM) training is the first-line treatment supported by numerous high-quality studies. However, the effectiveness of biofeedback [...] Read more.
Background: Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is the involuntary loss of urine during increased abdominal pressure, affecting 46% of adult women, particularly those over 40. Pelvic floor muscle (PFM) training is the first-line treatment supported by numerous high-quality studies. However, the effectiveness of biofeedback devices, such as vaginal weight cones, remains controversial. Peflex weights are a new type of vaginal extracorporeal weights developed for PFM training. Aims: To evaluate the effectiveness of PFM training with Peflex weights in reducing SUI symptoms, improving muscle power and endurance, and comparing its efficacy to standard PFM training without weights. Methods: A pilot randomized controlled trial was conducted involving 35 women aged 18 to 50 diagnosed with SUI. Participants were randomly assigned to either the Peflex group (PFM training with Peflex weights) or the control group (PFM training without weights). Both groups engaged in six weeks of home-based training. The primary outcome was assessed using the self-reported International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-UI-SF). Secondary outcomes included evaluations based on the PERFECT scheme, perineometer measurements, and levator hiatus diameters obtained via ultrasound. Results: In the intragroup analysis, the Peflex group significantly improved all outcome measurements. Compared to the control group, the Peflex group demonstrated significantly higher improvement in muscle power and repetition of muscle contraction (p = 0.015 and p = 0.007, respectively), as well as in the proportional change in levator hiatus contraction (p = 0.022). There was no significant difference in the improvement in ICIQ-UI-SF and perineometer measurements between the groups (p > 0.05). Additionally, there was a trend of higher satisfaction with the treatment in the Peflex group (p = 0.054). Conclusions: Peflex weights effectively reduce SUI symptoms and improve muscle power and endurance, with high user satisfaction. However, there was no significant difference in the main outcome measure (ICIQ-UI-SF) between the Peflex and control groups. Further research is needed to identify which patients benefit most from this treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Women’s Health and Pelvic Health: Lifelong Care)
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Other

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10 pages, 534 KB  
Brief Report
Teachable Moments: Development of an Environmental Health Behavior Change Tool for Pregnant Women and Parents
by Rebecca H. Ofrane and Stella Agolli
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2026, 23(5), 674; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph23050674 - 20 May 2026
Viewed by 433
Abstract
The perinatal period is a critical window of susceptibility for fetal development and awareness for women’s health. Pregnant women are highly motivated to reduce environmental health risks, yet often lack personalized, actionable guidance on mitigating endocrine-disrupting chemicals and other household hazards. Grounded in [...] Read more.
The perinatal period is a critical window of susceptibility for fetal development and awareness for women’s health. Pregnant women are highly motivated to reduce environmental health risks, yet often lack personalized, actionable guidance on mitigating endocrine-disrupting chemicals and other household hazards. Grounded in Motivational Interviewing theory, a digital assessment was developed to empower parents to identify and reduce exposures. The tool screens for home-based and environmental risks across several domains: air quality, lead, tobacco, cleaning agents, pesticides, and plastics (BPA/phthalates). Based on user inputs, a defined algorithm generates a positive index score paired with prioritized, low-cost behavioral recommendations designed to shift users from risk awareness to active mitigation. Since its launch in Spring 2024, the tool has had over 1900 views. Preliminary analytics suggest promising engagement, and feedback more so suggests that the motivational-interview-based framing, which emphasizes empowerment over fear, facilitates immediate behavioral changes, such as switching to safer personal care products and improving indoor ventilation. Digital health interventions that translate complex environmental data into a single, manageable score can bridge the gap between clinical knowledge and household practice. This article details the score’s calculation methodology and underlying datasets, and reports usage analytics and user feedback, discussing how digital screening can scale environmental health literacy and improve maternal and child health outcomes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Women’s Health and Pelvic Health: Lifelong Care)
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