Comparison of Pelvic Floor Muscle Strength in Women With Vaginal Delivery and Caesarean Section After 1–3 Years: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Authors

Zahra Sharifi, Student Research Committee, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Farzaneh Pazandeh, School of Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
Giti Ozgoli, Midwifery and Reproductive Health Research Center, Department of Midwifery and Reproductive Health, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Marzieh Bagherinia, Family Health and Population Growth Research Center, Health Policy and Promotion Research Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, IranFollow

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to compare pelvic floor muscle strength (PFMS) in women who had vaginal delivery with episiotomy and those who underwent planned caesarean section 1–3 years postpartum. Methods: This retrospective cohort included 208 women from Taleghani Hospital, Arak, Iran, recruited by purposive sampling between May and August 2022. Participants were allocated to two groups: 104 with vaginal delivery and episiotomy and 104 with planned caesarean section. Data were collected using a sociodemographic questionnaire and a perineometer to assess PFMS. Statistical analyses used the independent-samples t test and multiple linear regression. Results: The mean (± standard deviation) PFMS was 28.6 ± 7.9 in the vaginal delivery group and 29.1 ± 7.1 in the caesarean section group (perineometer scale: 2–124 units). No significant between-group difference was observed (mean difference =-0.55; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -2.6 to 1.5; P = 0.595). Conclusion: Mode of childbirth—vaginal delivery with episiotomy or planned caesarean section—did not significantly influence PFMS 1–3 years postpartum. Caesarean section did not demonstrate a protective effect on PFMS. These findings suggest that concerns about long-term PFMS should not be a primary factor when considering caesarean section over vaginal delivery.

Publication Date

10-22-2025

First Page

946

Last Page

952

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Sharifi, Zahra; Pazandeh, Farzaneh; Ozgoli, Giti; and Bagherinia, Marzieh (2025) "Comparison of Pelvic Floor Muscle Strength in Women With Vaginal Delivery and Caesarean Section After 1–3 Years: A Retrospective Cohort Study," Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal: Vol. 25: 946-952.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18295/2075-0528.2924