Burden and Awareness of Pelvic Floor Disorders Among Pregnant Women in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: A Hospital-Based Study

Pelvic floor disorders (PFD) include urinary, pelvic organ prolapse, and colorectal symptoms that negatively affect the well-being of women. Evidence on prevalence, knowledge, associated factors, and quality-of-life impact (QoL) among pregnant women in low resource settings is limited. This study assessed the magnitude of PFD, related knowledge, associated factors, and QoL impact among pregnant women attending a tertiary level teaching hospital in Addis Ababa.

A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 278 pregnant women at a tertiary level teaching hospital in Addis Ababa from April 2024 to September 2025. Data were collected using the Pelvic Floor Distress Inventory-20 (PFDI-20), Pelvic Floor Impact Questionnaire-21 (PFIQ-21) and Prolapse and Incontinence Knowledge Questionnaire (PIKQ). Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses were performed using SPSS version 25.

Overall 57.6% of participants had at least one PFD symptom, urinary and colorectal symptoms being the commonest and the least frequent, respectively. Most symptoms were classified as mild. Advanced gestational age and higher parity were independently associated with PFD. Vaginal delivery increased the likelihood of PFD, whereas cesarean delivery showed a protective association. Knowledge of urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse was poor in 81.7% and 61.9% of participants, respectively. Higher symptom severity was associated with increased functional limitation.

PFD is common among pregnant women, with obstetric factors as key determinants and substantial gaps in knowledge. Integrating pelvic floor education and screening for PFD into routine antenatal care provides an opportunity to improve awareness and early detection.