Epidemiology, aetiology, care and prevention strategies for pelvic floor disorders in young nulliparous female athletes in athletics: a scoping review

Objective: Young nulliparous female athletes do not present all of the usual pelvic floor disorders (PFDs) risk factors (eg, ageing, menopause, childbirth), and thus constitute a population for whom management strategies could differ from the general population. We aimed to map the available evidence and gap about epidemiology, aetiology, care and preventive strategies of PFDs in young nulliparous female athletes in athletics. Design: Scoping review. Data sources: PubMed, Pedro, Embase and Web of Science were searched from inception to 12 January 2026. Eligibility criteria for selecting studies: All types of peer-reviewed articles on PFDs in young nulliparous female athletes in athletics. Results: 29 articles were included: 14 reviews and 15 original studies. According to the Translating Research into Injury Prevention Practice framework, 24 (83%) articles were classified in stage 1, 23 (79%) in stage 2, 11 (38%) in stage 3, 1 (3%) in stage 5 and none in stages 4 and 6. Prevalence of urinary incontinence ranged from 18.2% to 58.3%. The mechanisms and risk factors of PFDs were complex and inter-related, including a variety of intrinsic factors (eg, eating disorders, low energy availability, behaviour and knowledge), extrinsic factors related to sports practice and environmental factors (eg, relationships with staff, access to education). A significant gap was identified: there are currently no articles nor trials evaluating the efficacy of care or prevention of PFDs. Conclusion: PFDs affect a large number of young nulliparous female athletes, with population-specific risk factors and mechanisms, which suggest population-specific care and prevention strategies.