Women’s health seeking behavior for pelvic floor disorders and its associated factors in eastern Ethiopia

BACKGROUND: Pelvic floor disorders (PFDs), include urinary incontinence, overactive bladder, anal incontinence, and pelvic organ prolapse negatively affect physical, psychosocial, and economic wellbeing of women. In developing countries, less than a quarter of women with PFDs seek health care for their problem. Health care seeking for PFDs, and its associated factors, is little known in Ethiopia. This study aimed to assess health care seeking for PFDs, associated factors, and deterrents for seeking care. METHODS: From a community based cross sectional study conducted form August 10 to September 4, 2016 to assess pelvic floor disorders, seven hundred four participants with PFDs drawn for health care seeking behavior analysis. Data were collected through interviewed administered questionnaire. Poisson regression model with robust variance was used to investigate the association of the independent variable with health care seeking behaviors. The results are reported in crude and adjusted prevalence ratio with 95% confidence intervals. RESULT: Two hundred twenty five (32%; CI: 26.8-35.5) women sought care for their PFDs. Majority 160 (71%) of them seek care from government health facilities. Middle wealth index Adjusted Prevalence Ratio (APR) = 1.4, CI: 1.1, 1.8), autonomous decision making on own health (APR = 1.3, CI: 1.1, 1.7), and sever impact of PFDs on quality of life (APR = 1.4, CI:1.1, 1.9) were identified as associated factors for health care seeking. CONCLUSION: A large number of women with pelvic floor disorder did not seek health care: this calls for urgent and tailored intervention to enhance health care seeking behaviors of women with PFD.