Objective: To identify correlates of pelvic floor disorders in a clinic-based sample of women Fifty years and older.

 

Method: Two hundred and sixty-three randomly selected gynaecology and urology clinic attendees fifty years and older provided information on health, reproductive history, sociodemographics and pelvic floor disorders. Associations between having at least one pelvic floor disorder and the other variables were explored using bivariate and multivariate analyses.

 

Results: Approximately 52% of women had at least one pelvic floor disorder and each additional vaginal delivery increased these odds by 14%, controlling for important health and sociodemographic variables.

 

Conclusion: Pelvic floor disorders can negatively affect quality of life in older age. Given the increased likelihood of their occurrence with each vaginal delivery, reproductive and post-reproductive health services should prioritise female pelvic medicine, pelvic floor strengthening and physical therapy to improve women’s genitourinary health.