Risk factors for reproductive tract infections among married women in rural areas of Anhui Province, China☆
Received 6 February 2009; received in revised form 17 August 2009; accepted 20 August 2009. published online 04 September 2009.
Abstract
Objectives
The goal of this study is to identify factors that contribute to reproductive tract infections (RTIs) among women in rural China, including prevalence, influence of sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge, hygienic behaviors and the history of childbearing, menstruation and abortion.
Study design
A stratified cluster sample of 53,652 married women in rural Anhui Province of China completed an interviewer-administered standardized questionnaire, and underwent gynecological examination and laboratory investigation.
Results
RTIs were relatively common (30,939/58.1%) among our sample of 53,652 married women. The three most frequent RTIs in our samples were endocervicitis, bacterial vaginosis (BV) and trichomoniasis, with prevalences of 41.7%, 12.0% and 4.5%, respectively. Multiple infections were prevalent among our sample. 20.4% (10,854) of our sample had two RTIs and 8.8% (4713) had at least three RTIs. Multivariate analysis showed that women's age, education, occupation, dysmenorrhea, number of deliveries, personal hygiene habit, menstrual cycle, menstruation, abortion, the interval between abortion and sexual intercourse afterwards, RTI knowledge and the frequency of sexual intercourse per month were all related to RTIs in our sample.
Conclusions
Among married women in rural China, the prevalence of RTIs was high, indicating the need for health education.
aSchool of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, PR China
bAnhui Science & Technology Department, Anhui Population and Family Planning Commission, Hefei, PR China
Corresponding author at: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui 230032, PR China. Tel.: +86 551 5167726; fax: +86 551 5161171.
☆ This study was conducted in Anhui Province, China.
ABSTRACT