Evaluating the Prevalence of Pelvic Floor Disorders in Women in Nonmetropolitan Communities.

Introduction: Prevalence rates of pelvic floor disorders in women in nonmetropolitan communities compared with metropolitan communities are unknown. We hypothesize that the rates are higher in women in nonmetropolitan communities.

Methods: We accessed the health survey data from the NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) from 2009 to 2010 divided by geocodes into nonmetropolitan (<50,000 inhabitants) and metropolitan communities (>50,000). Responses were analyzed for the following conditions: urinary incontinence and nocturia, bowel urgency and anal incontinence, and symptomatic vaginal bulge. Age-adjusted prevalence rates were estimated using logistic regression.

Results: The 2009-2010 NHANES survey was completed nationwide by 302 women in nonmetropolitan communities and 2201 women in metropolitan communities. Overall, prevalence rates of PFDs did not significantly differ between groups. Prevalence rates of urinary incontinence and nocturia at least weekly were similar between metropolitan and nonmetropolitan groups (16.2% vs 14.6%, P = 0.47), with stress incontinence being more common than urgency and other types of incontinence (40% vs 23% and 8%). Women in metropolitan communities reported more bowel urgency than women in nonmetropolitan communities (33.3% vs 26.8%, P = 0.02); however, prevalence rates between both groups are similar with regards to anal incontinence at least once a month or more (9.2% vs 9.0%, P = 0.76). Prolapse symptoms were also not significantly different between the groups (2.4% in both). There was an increase in prevalence in each of the pelvic floor disorder symptoms with age.

Conclusions: Pelvic floor disorders are prevalent and increase with age in women in nonmetropolitan communities at rates similar to women in metropolitan communities.