Parity, Mode of Delivery, and Pelvic Floor Disorders

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the associations be-tween parity, mode of delivery, and pelvic floor disorders. METHODS: The prevalence of pelvic organ prolapse, stress urinary incontinence, overactive bladder, and anal incontinence was assessed in a random sample of women aged 25–84 years by using the validated Epidemiology of Prolapse and Incontinence Questionnaire. Women were categorized as nulliparous, vaginally parous, or only de-livered by cesarean. Adjusted odds ratios and 95 % con-fidence intervals (CIs) for each disorder were calculated with logistic regression, controlling for age, body mass index, and parity. RESULTS: In the 4,458 respondents the prevalence of each disorder was as follows: 7 % prolapse, 15 % stress urinary incontinence, 13 % overactive bladder, 25 % anal incontinence, and 37 % for any one or more pelvic floor disorders. There were no significant differences in the prevalence of disorders between the cesarean delivery and nulliparous groups. The adjusted odds of each dis-order increased with vaginal parity compared with cesar-ean delivery: prolapse! 1.82 (95 % CI 1.04–3.19), stres