Urinary Incontinence in Young Gymnastics Athletes: A Scoping Review

Background/Objectives: Urinary incontinence (UI) is increasingly reported among young nulliparous women, especially those engaged in high-impact sports. This may increase the risk of developing stress urinary incontinence (SUI) later in life. This scoping review aims to synthesize current evidence on UI in gymnasts, identify the gymnastics modalities with the highest prevalence of UI, and examine the outcomes measures and interventions considered for UI. Methods: A scoping review was conducted using the following databases: PubMed, Cochrane, Science Direct, Scielo, EBSCO, PEDro and NIH. Studies published in English or Portuguese between January 2012 and May 2023 were included. Review articles, qualitative studies and conferences abstracts were excluded. Results: Out of 169 identified studies, 4 were included. SUI emerged as the most prevalent type of UI, particularly in artistic and trampoline modalities. All the studies used the ICIQ-UI-SF to assess UI. Reported outcomes UI and SUI prevalence of, impact on quality of life and athletic performance, as well as knowledge about UI and pelvic floor. No studies investigated interventions for UI. Conclusions: The prevalence of SUI is high among gymnasts, especially in artistic and trampoline disciplines. Although there is outcome heterogeneity across studies, all used the ICIQ-UI-SF. There is a critical gap regarding interventions for UI in this population.