title: Prevalence, Awareness, and Understanding of Pelvic Floor Disorders in Adolescent and Young Women.
abstract: The objective of this study was to characterize symptom prevalence, awareness of pelvic floor disorders (PFDs) in family/friends, and understanding of factors contributing to the development of PFDs in women aged 19 to 30 years.
  
  
  
  This study is a cross-sectional study via online questionnaire survey of female students aged 19 to 30 years enrolled at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Results of "adolescent women" aged 19 to 24 years were compared with "young women" aged 25 to 30 years.
  
  
  
  A total of 1092 questionnaires were completed with the mean age being 23.5 ± 3.1 years. The overall rate of urinary incontinence (UI) was 10.3% without a difference between adolescent and young women (P = 0.61). There were no differences in rates of urgency UI (P = 0.061), stress UI (P = 0.29), or pelvic organ prolapse (POP) symptoms (P = 0.56) between groups. There was no difference between groups in awareness of family members with UI, fecal incontinence (FI), or POP symptoms (P ≥ 0.24). However, logistic regression showed that the young women were more likely to have received education regarding UI (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.8-3.6), FI (aOR, 3.3; 95% CI, 2.2-4.8), POP (aOR, 2.9; 95% CI, 2.1-4.2), and have greater understanding regarding causes of UI (aOR, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.7-4.8), FI (aOR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.1-2.3), and POP (aOR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.3-2.9).
  
  
  
  Women aged 25 to 30 years had more awareness and understanding of PFDs compared with adolescent women. These data may have implications for primary prevention strategies of PFDs.
authors.affiliation: From the *Division of Urogynecology and Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, †Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, and ‡Division of Women's Reproductive Health, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL; §Division of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA; and ║Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care, Department of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham and Birmingham/Atlanta Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Department of Veterans Affairs, Birmingham, AL.
authors.forename: Alison M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Parden
authors.forename: Russell L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Griffin
authors.forename: Kimberly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hoover
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Ellington
authors.forename: Jonathan L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Gleason
authors.forename: Kathryn L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Burgio
authors.forename: Holly E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Richter
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D059952:Pelvic Floor Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D056887:Pelvic Organ Prolapse / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014550:Urinary Incontinence, Stress / Q000453:epidemiology*; D053202:Urinary Incontinence, Urge / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult