Prevalence of pelvic floor dysfunction among women with polycystic ovarian syndrome: a case-control study

Abstract

Background Pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) is a wide term, involving a large array of conditions that negatively impact many women around the world. Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is another disorder with long-term serious consequences. Being a disease of hormonal imbalances, PCOS may possibly affect the function of the pelvic floor muscles leading to PFD. Thus, the current study aimed to explore the prevalence of PFD among women with PCOS. Methods This is an observational, case-control study. A total of 368 women, aged from 20 to 35 years, with a body mass index (BMI) range of 20 to 30 kg/m2 recruited from Kasr El-Ainy teaching hospital shared in the study. They were classified into case group (PCOS patients; n=184) and control group (non-PCOS participants; n=184), with matched age and BMI for comparison. All case-group women were diagnosed with PCOS, based on Rotterdam diagnostic criteria, while the control group women had regular menstrual cycles. Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory-20 (PFDI-20) was used to identify PFD in the tested groups. The demographic features of the two groups were compared using the unpaired t test, while the chi-squared test was used to determine the prevalence of PFD among women with PCOS. Also, multiple linear regression was done to asses other PFD risk factors in both groups. Results Out of 380 women, 368 were involved in the study with mean ± standard deviation (SD) for the age and BMI of 28.48±4.87 years and 25.9±5.8 kg/m2, respectively, for the control group, and 28.76±5.33 years and 27±6.1 kg/m2, respectively, for the PCOS group, without a significant difference in either of the age and BMI between groups (P > 0.05). The frequency distribution of women with and without PFD in both groups revealed that the PCOS group included 68 (37%) women with PFD. While the control group included 12 (6%) women with PFD, with a significant difference (P=0. 03) in the prevalence between both groups. Also, multiple regression revealed that PCOS condition significantly affected PFD. Conclusion PFD was prevalent among women with PCOS, compared to the control group, suggesting a possible link between both conditions.