Epidemiological Trend Study of Women With Endometriosis in Rural Areas of Yantai City

Objective To analyze epidemiological characteristics of endometriosis (EM) in rural areas of Yantai City, Shandong Province in 2007 and explore the prevalence of endometriosis and provide information for the prevention and therapy for endometriosis. Methods From January to December 2007, 7832 women were randomly selected from ten villages from two townships by using stratified sampling approach. All subjects were older than 18-year-old and were filled the survey. Informed consent was obtained from all participants. Results The efficiency of this survey was 99.57% (7798/7832). A total of 368 endometriosis patients were found in the survey, and the prevalence was 4.72% (368/7798). In terms of age, the prevalence of 25 to 45-year-old group was highest among all groups. To the occupation, the prevalence of mental workers was the highest. The prevalence of different age groups and different occupations were statistically significant difference(P<0.05). Conclusion Endometriosis mainly concentrates in 25 to 45-year-old group and mental workers. The screening should be carried on regular time. This is significant for the early discovery, diagnosis and treatment of endometriosis. Key words: endometriosis; epidemiology; epidemiological characteristics