IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i3p1279-d490581.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Heavy Load Carrying and Symptoms of Pelvic Organ Prolapse among Women in Tanzania and Nepal: An Exploratory Study

Author

Listed:
  • Aybüke Koyuncu

    (Division of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-7360, USA)

  • Jillian L. Kadota

    (Division of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-7360, USA)

  • Agatha Mnyippembe

    (Health for a Prosperous Nation, Dar es Salaam 0701, Tanzania)

  • Prosper F. Njau

    (Prevention of Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission Programme, Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly, and Children, Dar es Salaam 0701, Tanzania)

  • Tula Ram Sijali

    (Institute of Social and Environment Research-Nepal (ISER-N), Kaski 33700, Nepal)

  • Sandra I. McCoy

    (Division of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-7360, USA)

  • Michael N. Bates

    (Division of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-7360, USA
    Division of Environmental Health Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-7360, USA)

  • Carisa Harris-Adamson

    (Division of Environmental Health Sciences, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-7360, USA
    Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA)

  • Ndola Prata

    (Bixby Center for Population, Health and Sustainability, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-7360, USA)

Abstract

Heavy load carrying of water, firewood, and sand/stones is a ubiquitous activity for women living in developing countries. Although the intra-abdominal pressure associated with heavy load carrying is hypothesized to increase the risk of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) among women, relevant epidemiologic data are lacking. We conducted a comparative study involving two exploratory cross-sectional studies among convenience samples of women carrying heavy loads, with different characteristics: (1) as part of their activities for daily living, in Shinyanga region, Tanzania; and (2) working as sand miners in Pokhara, Nepal. Women were categorized has having “low” or “high” load-carrying exposures based on the measured weights of the loads being carried at the time of the survey, as well as on self-reported duration and frequency of load carrying. A summary score for lower abdominal discomfort suggestive of POP was generated using questions from the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Distress Inventory (POPDI-6). Women with higher load carrying exposures had on average higher discomfort scores in both Tanzania (adjusted prevalence difference (PD a ) = 3.7; 95% CI: −3.8–11.3; p = 0.33) and Nepal (PD a = 9.3; 95% CI: −4.9–23.6; p = 0.18). We identified trends suggestive of an association between increasing heavy load carrying exposures and symptoms of lower abdominal discomfort. Our findings underscore the need for larger epidemiologic studies of the potential adverse reproductive health effects of heavy load carrying activities on women in developing countries.

Suggested Citation

  • Aybüke Koyuncu & Jillian L. Kadota & Agatha Mnyippembe & Prosper F. Njau & Tula Ram Sijali & Sandra I. McCoy & Michael N. Bates & Carisa Harris-Adamson & Ndola Prata, 2021. "Heavy Load Carrying and Symptoms of Pelvic Organ Prolapse among Women in Tanzania and Nepal: An Exploratory Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(3), pages 1-12, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:3:p:1279-:d:490581
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/3/1279/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/3/1279/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Porter, Gina & Hampshire, Kate & Dunn, Christine & Hall, Richard & Levesley, Martin & Burton, Kim & Robson, Steve & Abane, Albert & Blell, Mwenza & Panther, Julia, 2013. "Health impacts of pedestrian head-loading: A review of the evidence with particular reference to women and children in sub-Saharan Africa," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 90-97.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Frempong, Raymond Boadi & Orkoh, Emmanuel & Kofinti, Raymond Elikplim, 2021. "Household's use of cooking gas and Children's learning outcomes in rural Ghana," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    2. Abisola Osinuga & Brandi Janssen & Nathan B Fethke & William T Story & John A Imaledo & Kelly K Baker, 2021. "Understanding Rural Women’s Domestic Work Experiences (DWE) in Ibadan, Nigeria: Development of a Measurement Tool Using Confirmatory Factor Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-18, October.
    3. Hamenoo, Emma Seyram & Dwomoh, Emmanuel Aprakru & Dako-Gyeke, Mavis, 2018. "Child labour in Ghana: Implications for children's education and health," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 248-254.
    4. Tanu Priya Uteng & Jeff Turner, 2019. "Addressing the Linkages between Gender and Transport in Low- and Middle-Income Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(17), pages 1-34, August.
    5. Matinga, Margaret Njirambo & Annegarn, Harold J. & Clancy, Joy S., 2013. "Healthcare provider views on the health effects of biomass fuel collection and use in rural Eastern Cape, South Africa: An ethnographic study," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 192-200.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:3:p:1279-:d:490581. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.