Pelvic floor muscle strength and influencing factors based on vaginal manometry among healthy women at different life stages: A multicentre cross-sectional study.
BJOG 2024. [PMID:
38168494 DOI:
10.1111/1471-0528.17736]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To assess pelvic floor muscle (PFM) strength and influencing factors among healthy women at different life stages.
DESIGN
Multicentre cross-sectional study.
SETTING
Fourteen hospitals in China.
POPULATION
A total of 5040 healthy women allocated to the following groups (with 1680 women per group): premenopausal nulliparous, premenopausal parous and postmenopausal.
METHODS
The PFM strength was evaluated by vaginal manometry. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the influencing factors for low PFM strength.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Maximum voluntary contraction pressure (MVCP).
RESULTS
The median MVCP values were 36, 35 and 35 cmH2 O in premenopausal nulliparous (aged 19-51 years), premenopausal parous (aged 22-61 years), and postmenopausal (aged 40-86 years) women, respectively. In the premenopausal nulliparous group, physical work (odds ratio, OR 2.05) was the risk factor for low PFM strength, which may be related to the chronic increased abdominal pressure caused by physical work. In the premenopausal parous group, the number of vaginal deliveries (OR 1.28) and diabetes (OR 2.70) were risk factors for low PFM strength, whereas sexual intercourse (<2 times per week vs. none, OR 0.55; ≥2 times per week vs. none, OR 0.56) and PFM exercise (OR 0.50) may have protective effects. In the postmenopausal group, the number of vaginal deliveries (OR 1.32) and family history of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) (OR 1.83) were risk factors for low PFM strength.
CONCLUSIONS
Physical work, vaginal delivery, diabetes and a family history of POP are all risk factors for low PFM strength, whereas PFM exercises and sexual life can have a protective effect. The importance of these factors varies at different stages of a woman's life.
Collapse