Prevalence, risk factors and severity of symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse among Emirati women

Abstract

BackgroundSimilar to other Gulf countries, the society in United Arab Emirates is pro-natal with high parity and high prevalence of macrosomic babies. Therefore, it is possible to have a high prevalence of pelvic organ prolapse (POP). Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of POP symptoms in one of the UAE cities.MethodsA cross-sectional study of all women who attended the three family development centres was conducted in Al-Ain from January 2010 to January 2011. Non-Emirati, pregnant and nulliparous women younger than 30 years were excluded.ResultsOut of 482 women who met the inclusion criteria, 429 (89.0 %) agreed to fully participate in the study. 127 women (29.6 %) reported symptoms of POP (mean age: 38.2 years, range: 18–71).Out of the 127 affected women, a dragging lump was felt occasionally in 68 %, sometimes in 19 %, most of times in 9 % and all the times in 4 %. 73 % of affected women experienced soreness in the vagina. Around one third had to insert their fingers in the vagina to either start or complete emptying of the bladder or to empty the bowel.Using multivariate analysis, the independent risk factors were history of constipation, level of education, chronic chest disease, nature of occupation, birth weight and body mass index (Odds ratio; 95 % Confidence interval): (4.1; 2.3-7.3), (1.7; 1.2-2.3), (2.9; 1.6-5.5), (0.5; 0.4-0.8), (1.7; 1.1-2.5), (1.1; 1.0-1.1), respectively (P < 0.05 for all).ConclusionSymptoms of POP are prevalent among Emirati women. Independent risk factors included history of chronic constipation and chest disease, level of education, job type, birth weight and body mass index. Additional healthcare campaigns are required to educate the public regarding these risk factors.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12894-015-0062-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The prevalence and treatment pattern of clinically diagnosed pelvic organ prolapse: a Korean National Health Insurance Database-based cross-sectional study 2009–2015

“…In our study, constipation was an important risk for POP. The results of previous studies are not consistent with this finding 5 , 7 , 23 , 24 . Hendrix et al .…”

Determinants of pelvic organ prolapse among gynecologic patients in Bahir Dar, North West Ethiopia: a case&ndash;control study

“…Similarly, studies from Nepal42 and Al Ain (UAE)43 indicated that illiterate women were more likely to be affected by POP. Higher risk of POP among illiterate women might be due to higher proportion of delivery at home (83.3%), possibly without the attendance of skilled health professionals.…”

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Urinary/Anal Incontinence and Pelvic Organ Prolapse in Healthy Middle-Aged Iranian Women

“…Owing to different measurement systems and different definition, prevalence of POP among different societies is not consistent. Prevalence of symptom base POP among Emirati women estimated 26.9% by Elbis et al [13]. While Horst et al [14] showed that prevalence of POP with using of pelvic organ prolapse quantification (POP-Q) measurement system is more than 50%.…”