Adaptive Behaviors Among Women With Bowel Incontinence: The ABBI Trial

It is common knowledge that women with pelvic floor dysfunction will develop, initiate and adopt behaviors which mitigate their symptoms or impairment. For some women, this involves wearing a pad and for others, knowledge of restroom locations. Little is known about the role of such behaviors in helping women adapt to urinary incontinence (UI), pelvic organ prolapse (POP), or fecal incontinence (FI). Additionally, there are no studies that address the persistence of these behaviors following treatment as measured by traditional outcomes. Results of a pilot study that assessed quality of life (QOL) in women with pelvic floor disorders (PFD) indicated that women relied heavily on behavioral adaptation in order to cope with PFD symptoms. Subsequently, a draft Adaptation Index was developed with input from investigators of the Pelvic Floor Disorders Network (PFDN). This measure was further refined by focus groups as part of the 1J06 protocol. The 1J06 study is investigating the properties of this tool in subjects with UI and POP. This study focuses on the validation of this instrument as a measurement of adaptive behaviors used to reduce symptoms of FI and to describe the use of adaptive behaviors among women with FI.