Gynecological aspects as a component of comprehensive geriatric assessment: A study of self-rated symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse among community-dwelling elderly women in Japan

Abstract Objectives Despite the reported ‘male-female health-survival paradox’, no components of the comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) routinely used in the field of geriatrics focus on female-specific symptoms. To investigate the impact of gynecological factors among elderly women, we noted the gynecological history and examined the association between self-rated symptoms of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) and CGA. Study design This community-based, cross-sectional study in Japan included 164 community-dwelling women aged ≥75 years. Main outcome measures The main outcome measures were the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Distress Inventory-6 (POPDI-6), activities of daily living (ADL), and Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. Self-rated symptoms of POP were assessed using POPDI-6, and the participants were dichotomized into POPDI-6 >0 (symptom group) and POPDI-6 =0 (no-symptom group). Several components of the CGA were compared between the groups with and without symptoms of POP and the association with POPDI-6 score was analyzed by multiple logistic regression analysis. Results Compared with the no-symptom group, the symptom group had significantly longer TUG test time (≥13.5 s) (P = 0.024) and difficulty in basic ADL (score 0 (odds ratio [OR] = 2.78; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.10–7.06 and OR = 3.45; 95% CI = 1.01–1.24). Conclusions Self-rated POP symptoms were associated with CGA components among community-dwelling elderly women. Evaluating POP symptoms as part of the CGA could be meaningful for improving physical and psychological health in elderly women.