Awareness of pelvic organ prolapse and attitude towards its treatment among Malaysian women

• Published in: Medical Journal of Malaysia
• Main Author: Abdullah B.; Idris S.; Jaafar S.A.M.; Ghazali N.L.A.; Liki N.S.M.; Aminuddin A.A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Malaysian Medical Association 2023
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85178651438&partnerID=40&md5=80ceb78379a54dd85230f24f9a89b41f

Introduction: The aim of this study is to determine the level of awareness of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and factors that influence the attitude towards the treatment of POP among Malaysian women. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 400 women from registered non-government organisations (NGOs) in Malaysia who voluntarily answered questionnaires distributed through Google form via emails. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, independent t-test and one-way ANOVA test. Results: Four hundred respondents participated in this study. The mean age was 40.42 years old (SD=12.566). The mean score for the studied population was 4.96 (SEM 0.124). Only 58 (14.5%) respondents obtained a score of eight or more, and 235 (58.8%) respondents scored between 4 and 7. The rest of 107 (26.7%) respondents scored 3 and less. There were statistically significant differences in the mean score for level of awareness between marital statuses, menopausal status, number of children and occupation. There were only 273 (68%) respondents who will seek treatment if they experience symptoms of POP. The most frequent reasons for not seeking treatment were unawareness of the availability of medical treatment for POP (69 %). Conclusion: Majority of the respondents have an inadequate level of awareness on POP. Although more than half of the respondents will seek treatment if they experience symptoms of POP, concerns raised by those who chose not to seek treatment should be addressed by a more effective public awareness programme. This includes the unawareness of the availability of medical treatment and the embarrassment to see medical practitioners. © 2023, Malaysian Medical Association. All rights reserved.