Lifetime physical activity and pelvic organ prolapse in middle-aged women.
OBJECTIVE
To determine, in a case-control study, whether pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is associated with overall lifetime physical activity (combined leisure, outdoor, household, occupational), and lifetime leisure, lifetime strenuous, and teen years strenuous activity.


METHODS
One hundred ninety-one POP cases (defined as maximal vaginal descent ≥1 cm below the hymen) and 191 age and recruitment-site matched controls (defined as maximal vaginal descent ≤1 cm above the hymen) between 39-65 years with no or mild urinary incontinence, were recruited chiefly from primary care clinics. Participants completed Lifetime Physical Activity and Occupation Questionnaires, recalling activities during 4 age epochs. We performed separate logistic regression models for physical activity measures.


RESULTS
Compared with controls, POP cases had greater body mass index and parity. Median overall lifetime activity, expressed in metabolic equivalents-hours/week, did not differ significantly between cases and controls. In adjusted analyses, we observed no associations between odds of POP and overall lifetime physical activity, lifetime leisure activity, or lifetime strenuous activity. There was a marginally significant nonlinear relationship between teen strenuous activity and POP with an increase in the log-odds of POP for women reporting ≥21 hours/week of strenuous activity (P = .046).


CONCLUSIONS
Lifetime physical activity does not increase the odds of anatomic POP in middle-aged women not seeking care for POP. Strenuous activity during teenage years may confer higher odds of POP. This relationship and the potential role of physical activity and POP incidence should be evaluated prospectively.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT.
Ingrid E
IE
Nygaard
Department of Exercise and Sport Science, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT.
Janet M
JM
Shaw
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT.
Tyler
T
Bardsley
Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT.
Marlene J
MJ
Egger
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D056887:Pelvic Organ Prolapse / Q000453:epidemiology*
exercise; leisure; pelvic organ prolapse; physical activity; strenuous activity