Prevalence of symptomatic pelvic floor disorders in US women
Ingrid Nygaard, Matthew D Barber, Kathryn L Burgio, Kimberly Kenton, Susan Meikle, Joseph Schaffer, Cathie Spino, William E Whitehead, Jennifer Wu, Debra J Brody, Pelvic Floor Disorders Network, Mathew D Barber, Marie Fidela R Paraiso, Mark D Walters, J Eric Jelovsek, Linda McElrath, Donel Murphy, Cheryl Williams, Anthony G Visco, Jennifer Wu, Alison Weidner, Cindy Amundsen, Mary J Loomis, Linda Brubaker, Kimberly Kenton, MaryPat FitzGerald, Elizabeth Mueller, Kathy Marchese, Mary Tulke, Holly E Richter, R Edward Varner, Robert L Holley, Thomas L Wheeler, Patricia S Goode, Kathryn L Burgio, L Keith Lloyd, Alayne D Markland, Velria Willis, Nancy Saxon, LaChele Ward, Lisa S Pair, Charles W Nager, Shawn A Menefee, Emily Lukacz, Karl M Luber, Michael E Albo, Margie Kahn, Lysa Woodall, Giselle Zazueta-Damian, Morton B Brown, Cathie Spino, John T Wei, Beverly Marchant, Donna DiFranco, John O L DeLancey, Dee Fenner, Nancy K Janz, Wen Ye, Zhen Chen, Yang Wang Casher, Joseph Schaffer, Clifford Wai, Marlene Corton, Gary Lemack, Kelly Moore, David Rahn, Amanda White, Shanna Atnip, Margaret Hull, Pam Martinez, Deborah Lawson, Ingrid Nygaard, Peggy Norton, Linda Freeman, Jan Baker, Susan Meikle, Ingrid Nygaard, Matthew D Barber, Kathryn L Burgio, Kimberly Kenton, Susan Meikle, Joseph Schaffer, Cathie Spino, William E Whitehead, Jennifer Wu, Debra J Brody, Pelvic Floor Disorders Network, Mathew D Barber, Marie Fidela R Paraiso, Mark D Walters, J Eric Jelovsek, Linda McElrath, Donel Murphy, Cheryl Williams, Anthony G Visco, Jennifer Wu, Alison Weidner, Cindy Amundsen, Mary J Loomis, Linda Brubaker, Kimberly Kenton, MaryPat FitzGerald, Elizabeth Mueller, Kathy Marchese, Mary Tulke, Holly E Richter, R Edward Varner, Robert L Holley, Thomas L Wheeler, Patricia S Goode, Kathryn L Burgio, L Keith Lloyd, Alayne D Markland, Velria Willis, Nancy Saxon, LaChele Ward, Lisa S Pair, Charles W Nager, Shawn A Menefee, Emily Lukacz, Karl M Luber, Michael E Albo, Margie Kahn, Lysa Woodall, Giselle Zazueta-Damian, Morton B Brown, Cathie Spino, John T Wei, Beverly Marchant, Donna DiFranco, John O L DeLancey, Dee Fenner, Nancy K Janz, Wen Ye, Zhen Chen, Yang Wang Casher, Joseph Schaffer, Clifford Wai, Marlene Corton, Gary Lemack, Kelly Moore, David Rahn, Amanda White, Shanna Atnip, Margaret Hull, Pam Martinez, Deborah Lawson, Ingrid Nygaard, Peggy Norton, Linda Freeman, Jan Baker, Susan Meikle
Abstract
Context: Pelvic floor disorders (urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, and pelvic organ prolapse) affect many women. No national prevalence estimates derived from the same population-based sample exists for multiple pelvic floor disorders in women in the United States.
Objective: To provide national prevalence estimates of symptomatic pelvic floor disorders in US women.
Design, setting, and participants: A cross-sectional analysis of 1961 nonpregnant women (>or=20 years) who participated in the 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a nationally representative survey of the US noninstitutionalized population. Women were interviewed in their homes and then underwent standardized physical examinations in a mobile examination center. Urinary incontinence (score of >or=3 on a validated incontinence severity index, constituting moderate to severe leakage), fecal incontinence (at least monthly leakage of solid, liquid, or mucous stool), and pelvic organ prolapse (seeing/feeling a bulge in or outside the vagina) symptoms were assessed.
Main outcome measures: Weighted prevalence estimates of urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, and pelvic organ prolapse symptoms.
Results: The weighted prevalence of at least 1 pelvic floor disorder was 23.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 21.2%-26.2%), with 15.7% of women (95% CI, 13.2%-18.2%) experiencing urinary incontinence, 9.0% of women (95% CI, 7.3%-10.7%) experiencing fecal incontinence, and 2.9% of women (95% CI, 2.1%-3.7%) experiencing pelvic organ prolapse. The proportion of women reporting at least 1 disorder increased incrementally with age, ranging from 9.7% (95% CI, 7.8%-11.7%) in women between ages 20 and 39 years to 49.7% (95% CI, 40.3%-59.1%) in those aged 80 years or older (P < .001), and parity (12.8% [95% CI, 9.0%-16.6%], 18.4% [95% CI, 12.9%-23.9%], 24.6% [95% CI, 19.5%-29.8%], and 32.4% [95% CI, 27.8%-37.1%] for 0, 1, 2, and 3 or more deliveries, respectively; P < .001). Overweight and obese women were more likely to report at least 1 pelvic floor disorder than normal weight women (26.3% [95% CI, 21.7%-30.9%], 30.4% [95% CI, 25.8%-35.0%], and 15.1% [95% CI, 11.6%-18.7%], respectively; P < .001). We detected no differences in prevalence by racial/ethnic group.
Conclusion: Pelvic floor disorders affect a substantial proportion of women and increase with age.
Source: PubMed