The effects of mode of delivery and time since birth on chronic pelvic pain and health-related quality of life

Objective: To assess the effects of mode of delivery and time since birth on chronic pelvic pain (CPP) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among primiparous Chinese women. Methods: Primiparous women of childbearing age who had given birth at least 6 months previously were invited to participate in the present cross-sectional study, which was conducted from October 2011 to April 2012 in the Chaoyang District of Beijing. Time since birth was divided into the following 4 periods: less than 1 year, 1-5 years, 6-10 years, and more than 10 years. The factors associated with CPP status were analyzed using logistic regression. Results: Among the 1456 participants, CPP was more common following cesarean delivery (11.2% versus 6.9% among women with a vaginal delivery; P = 0.007), and the rate of CPP increased with time since birth (23%, 93%, 10.7%, and 13.1% for the 4 specified time periods, respectively (P < 0.001). Cesarean delivery, longer time since birth, and CPP were all associated with a lower HRQoL utility score. Conclusion: Although the absolute risks were small, cesarean delivery and time since birth were significant risk factors for CPP, which had a negative impact on the participants' HRQoL. (C) 2013 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.