Risk for and consequences of endometriosis: A critical epidemiologic review

A L Shafrir, Shafrir AL, L V Farland, Leslie V. Farland, D K Shah, Shah DK, Harris HR, H R Harris, M Kvaskoff, Marina Kvaskoff, Krina T. Zondervan, K Zondervan, S A Missmer, Missmer SA
Best practice & research. Clinical obstetrics & gynaecology · 2018 · doi:10.1016/j.bpobgyn.2018.06.001 · PMID:30017581
review OA: closed public-domain-us ⤵ 2 in-corpus citations
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⚙ AI-generated summary by gemini-2.5-flash-lite, 2026-06-13 ⓘ

This review critically examines epidemiologic data on endometriosis risk factors and consequences, highlighting methodological challenges in case definition, control selection, and bias to advance understanding.

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Abstract

Endometriosis affects approximately 10% of women of reproductive age. Characteristics robustly associated with a greater risk for endometriosis include early age at menarche, short menstrual cycle length, and lean body size, whereas greater parity has been associated with a lower risk. Relationships with other potential characteristics including physical activity, dietary factors, and lactation have been less consistent, partially because of the need for rigorous data collection and a longitudinal study design. Critical methodologic complexities include the need for a clear case definition; valid selection of comparison/control groups; and consideration of diagnostic bias and reverse causation when exploring demographic characteristics, medical history, and lifestyle factors. Reviewers and editors must demand a detailed description of rigorous methods to facilitate comparison and replication to advance our understanding of endometriosis.

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Condition tags

endometriosis

MeSH descriptors

Endometriosis Age Factors Case-Control Studies Comorbidity Endometriosis Endometriosis Endometriosis Female Humans Incidence Longitudinal Studies Menstrual Cycle Pregnancy Research Design Risk Factors

Citation neighborhood

Papers in the corpus that this work cites (lower rings, blue) and that cite this one (upper rings, green). Dot size scales with the paper's in-corpus citation count — bigger dot = more influential within the endo/adeno field. Click a dot to open that paper. [ expand to 2 hops ] — adds papers reached through this work's immediate citers/citees. Heavier; up to 60 extra dots.

Cited by (7)

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europepmc
last seen: 2026-09-13T09:25:22.628771+00:00
pubmed
last seen: 2026-05-13T22:19:43.094626+00:00
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License: public-domain-us · commercial use OK · attribution required
Courtesy of the U.S. National Library of Medicine