Browsing by Author "Barakat, Ruben"
Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- A scoping review exploring stigma associated with postpartum urinary incontinencePublication . Cox, Jordyn; Sánchez-Polán, Miguel; Mota, Patrícia; Barakat, Ruben; Nagpal, TaniyaBackground: Postpartum urinary incontinence (PUI) occurs in 30–33% of individuals after their pregnancy, and has a detrimental impact on quality of life. Although common, PUI carries social stigma and this can affect patient behaviors, including not revealing symptoms and seeking appropriate care. Purpose: To summarize the causes of PUI stigma and its implications on health behaviors and outcomes. Methods: A scoping review was performed. The search was carried out on multiple search engines focusing on the postpartum period, urinary incontinence, and stigma. Data were extracted and mapped to identify causal factors of postpartum UI stigma and implications on outcomes and behaviors. Results: Twelve studies were included in this review. The main sources of PUI stigma were community values that negatively perceive urinary leakages as unclean and as lacking bodily control, along with self-stigma where participants seemed to be directing stereotypes and misconceptions surrounding PUI towards themselves. All studies emphasized that PUI was associated with feelings of embarrassment and shame, and this decreased the likelihood of discussing care options with healthcare providers. Conclusions: Moving forward, it is necessary to further understand PUI stigma from lived experience, including applying an intersectional approach to capture potential cultural nuances. Healthcare providers should be aware that PUI stigma could reduce patient communication, and therefore, the provider may need to initiate an effective and sensitive dialogue.
- A scoping review exploring stigma associated with postpartum urinary incontinencePublication . Cox, Jordyn M.; Sánchez-Polán, Miguel; Mota, Patrícia; Barakat, Ruben; Nagpal, Taniya S.Introduction and hypothesis: Postpartum urinary incontinence (UI) is prevalent, yet health-seeking behaviours for prevention and treatment are markedly low. Health-related stigma refers to conditions that may be socially devalued and considered deviating from "expected norms" and is a barrier to equitable health care. It may be plausible that stigma is associated with postpartum UI and leads to avoiding health-seeking behaviours, which this scoping review sought to examine and summarize. Methods: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews were followed. The following keywords were used to develop a search strategy: Postpartum, Urinary Incontinence, and Stigma. The search was carried out on PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, CINAHL, Web of Science, ProQuest Dissertation, and Theses Global. All study designs (clinical trials, observational studies, qualitative studies) were eligible for inclusion. Data were extracted and mapped to identify causal factors of postpartum UI stigma and implications for outcomes and behaviours. Results: Twelve studies were included. Most studies utilized questionnaires assessing constructs related to the quality of life that also captured potential stigma or interviews. Sources of postpartum UI stigma included community values surrounding UI and self-stigma, whereby participants directed stereotypes associated with urinary leakage toward themselves. Implications of postpartum UI stigma included negative mental emotions such as shame and embarrassment, which led to avoiding situations where they needed to disclose symptoms, including in healthcare environments. Conclusions: Future research requires a purposeful assessment of postpartum UI stigma to learn from lived experience how to mitigate stigma and improve the quality of care.