Symptomatic pelvic floor disorders and its associated factors in South-Central Ethiopia

Abstract

Introduction Pelvic floor disorders (PFD) are gynecologic health problems containing a wide variety of clinical problems; the most prevalent problems are pelvic organ prolapse, fecal incontinence, and urinary incontinence. It is a significant women’s health problem for both developed and developing countries. One in five women in Ethiopia experiences at least one major type of pelvic floor disorders. Despite the severity of the problem, due attention was not given, and no study has been conducted on pelvic floor disorders in the Gurage Zone. Objective To determine the prevalence and associated factors of symptomatic pelvic floor disorders among women living in Gurage Zone, SNNPR, Ethiopia, 2020. Methodology Community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from February to March 2020 among 542 women residing in the Gurage Zone. A multi-stage sampling method was used to select the participants. Interviewer administered, pretested questionnaires containing questions related to pelvic organ prolapse, urinary, and fecal incontinence was used. The urinary incontinence severity index questionnaire was used to assess the severity of urinary incontinence. Epi-Info x7 was used to record data, and SPSS was used to analyze the data. Binary logistic regression with 95% CI was used to explore the relationship between PFD and other independent variables. After multivariable logistic regression analysis variables with P-value less than 0.05 was used to determine significant association. Result A total of 542 participants were included in this study. Overall, 41.1% of the participants reported one or more symptoms of pelvic floor disorders. Urinary incontinence had the highest prevalence (32.8%), followed by pelvic organ prolapse (25.5%) and fecal incontinence (4.2%). History of weight lifting >10 Kg (AOR = 3.38; 95% CI: 1.99, 5.72), ≥5 vaginal delivery (AOR = 11.18; 95% CI: 1.53, 81.58), and being in menopause (AOR = 3.37; 95% CI: 1.40, 8.07) were identified as possible contributing factors in the development of a pelvic floor disorders. Conclusion The prevalence of symptomatic PFD was higher compared to other similar studies in Ethiopia. Heavy weight lifting, repetitive vaginal deliveries and menopause were factors significantly associated with PFD. Expansion of technologies and building basic infrastructures, health education on kegel exercise and promotion of family planning should be considered as a prevention strategy.

Quality of life and its associated factors among women diagnosed with pelvic organ prolapse in Gynecology outpatient department Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples region public referral hospitals, Ethiopia 2022

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Prevalence of pelvic floor disorders in the Eastern Mediterranean region

“…This may be because of differences among population and clinical practice in the various countries. 5 , 24 , 25 Risk factors for PFDs including, high BMI and high number of vaginal deliveries were reported in a majority of studies. 4 , 12 - 14 , 17 , 18 , 21 …”

“…This may be because of differences among population and clinical practice in the various countries. 5,24,25 Risk factors for PFDs including, high BMI and high number of vaginal deliveries were reported in a majority of studies. 4,[12][13][14]17,18,21 A recent review and meta-analysis carried out in Ethiopia, a neighboring region, found out that nearly one fourth of the population suffered POP, whereas the Saudi Med J 2023; Vol.…”