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

BACKGROUND: Similar 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. METHODS: A 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. RESULTS: Out 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). CONCLUSION: Symptoms 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 MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12894-015-0062-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.