Factors Associated With Pelvic Organ Prolapse in Postmenopausal South Korean Women

ImportanceThis study identifies key risk factors for pelvic organ prolapse (POP) in Korean women, providing valuable insights for prevention and personalized care.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to identify risk factors for POP in Korean women.Study DesignThis retrospective case-control study analyzed 2003-2011 Korean health checkup data in postmenopausal women diagnosed with POP (cases) and age-matched controls without POP (1:4 ratio) to identify risk factors.ResultsOf 2,506,271 participants, 34,648 patients were selected for the POP group and 138,592 patients were selected for the control group. The risk of POP was found to be increased with overweight (body mass index, 23-24.9: odds ratio [OR], 1.146; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1-1.196; body mass index, 25-29.9: OR, 1.142; 95% CI, 1.097-1.189) and multiple childbirths (2 times: OR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.39-1.653; >= 3: OR, 1.639; 95% CI, 1.493-1.8). The risk of POP was found to be decreased with smoking (OR, 0.769; 95% CI, 0.688-0.861), alcohol drinking (3-6/week: OR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.557-0.758), and exercise (1-2/week: OR, 0.904; 95% CI, 0.862-0.947; 3-4/week: OR, 0.896; 95% CI, 0.844-0.951; 5-6/week: OR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.788-0.96).ConclusionsThis study found that overweight and multiple childbirths were associated with an increased risk of POP. Smoking, alcohol drinking, and exercise reduced the risk of POP, but socioeconomic status, age at menarche, and age at menopause were not found to be associated with POP.