The trial lecture will be held as a video conference over Zoom.
The defence will follow regular procedure as far as possible, hence it will be open to the public and the audience can ask ex auditorio questions when invited to do so.
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Digital Trial Lecture – time and place
Adjudication committee
- First opponent: Professor Gunnevi Sundelin, Umeå University
- Second opponent: Professor Berit Schei, NTNU
- Third member and chair of the evaluation committee: Associate Professor Suraj Thapa, University of Oslo
Chair of the Defence
Professor II Hanne Solveig Dagfinrud, University of Oslo
Principal Supervisor
Senior Researcher Britt Stuge, Oslo University Hospital
Summary
Pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain (PGP), low back pain (LBP) and pelvic floor disorders are important women’s health issues due to their high prevalence and adverse effects on quality of life. Pelvic floor disorders such as pelvic organ prolapse rank among the most common reproductive health problems in Nepal. Knowledge about pregnancy-related PGP and LBP is however limited. Little is also known about pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) among pregnant Nepalese women, even though PFMT is internationally recommended for prevention and treatment of pelvic floor disorders.
The aims of this thesis were to expand knowledge about PGP and/or LBP and to investigate the feasibility of performing a PFMT program among pregnant Nepalese women.
The methods applied to address these aims were a methodological study to translate the Pelvic Girdle Questionnaire into Nepali language and a cross-sectional study to assess the prevalence of PGP and/or LBP in pregnant Nepalese women and to explore factors associated with PGP and/or LBP. Additionally, a feasibility study addressing the feasibility of performing a PFMT program in pregnant Nepalese women was conducted. The PFMT program consisted of development of educational material (leaflet and video) in Nepali, attending supervised PFMT visits and performing PFMT daily at home.
The results showed that the Nepali Pelvic Girdle Questionnaire is reliable and valid for assessing PGP in pregnant Nepalese women. PGP and/or LBP were found to be common in pregnant Nepalese women. Women with a high body mass index, symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse and an educated husband showed a higher prevalence of PGP and/or LBP. PFMT was feasible to perform in pregnant Nepalese women, at least in those living in the district of the study site. The findings from the feasibility study could guide the implementation of PFMT as well as future studies on the effectiveness of PFMT in Nepal.>
Additional information
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