The Racial Distribution of Female Pelvic Floor Disorders in an Equal Access Health Care System

Purpose

We examined ethnic differences in female pelvic disorders in an equal access health care system.

Materials and Methods

An electronic medical record review was performed for patients with pelvic floor disorders at a military female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery division for a 1-year period. Primary diagnosis codes and patient reported race were reviewed.

Results

Mean ± SD cohort age was 55 ± 16.3 years. A total of 720 patients were identified, of whom 68.8% were white and 18.6% were black. Pelvic organ prolapse was the primary diagnosis in 34.2% of the women, while 19.7% had stress urinary incontinence and 10.8% had urge urinary incontinence. There was no difference in the prevalence of prolapse between black and white women. However, of patients with incontinence there was a statistically significant difference with urge incontinence in more black women (51.2%) and stress incontinence in more white women (66.2%) (chi-square p <0.05).

Conclusions

There is a similar ethnic distribution of pelvic organ prolapse in an equal access health care system. Of women with incontinence there was a higher prevalence of urge urinary incontinence in black women and a higher prevalence of stress urinary incontinence in white women.

Key Words: urinary incontinence, prolapse, epidemiology, continental population groups, female

Abbreviations and Acronyms: AHLTA, Armed Forces Longitudinal Technology Application, BMI, body mass index, CHCS 1, Composite Health Care System, OAB, overactive bladder, POP, pelvic organ prolapse, SUI, stress urinary incontinence, UI, urinary incontinence, UUI, urgency UI