Prevalence of Pelvic Floor Disorders in United States Active-Duty Service Women Seeking Medical Care

In the United States, pelvic floor disorders affect 25% of women. Despite facing unique occupational risk factors that may increase the risk of pelvic floor disorders, there is little research on the prevalence of these disorders in active-duty service women.

This study sought to identify the prevalence of and risk factors for pelvic floor disorders in active-duty service women in the United States from diagnostic codes through service utilization.

Utilizing the Military Health System Data Repository, a cross-sectional study was conducted of all active-duty service women in the United States Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps during fiscal years 2010 to 2019.

This study identified 497,255 active-duty service women of whom 9.93% had pelvic floor disorders. Adjusted regression model analyses indicated increasing parity and body mass index significantly affect the risk of pelvic floor disorders. Active-duty women with 3 or more births were 3 times more likely to have pelvic floor disorders compared with the nulliparous group. Finally, subset analysis indicates the risk of pelvic floor disorders were increased 250% in obese women and decreased 20% for underweight women. The rate of pelvic floor disorders appears to be increasing among active-duty women.

Active-duty service women have significantly lower rates of pelvic floor disorders compared with the general population, possibly due to the protective effects of improved weight management and physical fitness requirements for their job performance. However, pelvic floor disorders may be uptrending and need continued monitoring.