Impact of chronic pelvic pain on quality of life in diverse young adults

To examine the relationship between quality of life (QoL) and chronic pelvic pain (CPP), including an evaluation of whether differences exist between reported races and coping mechanisms used.

We used a cross-sectional survey design and analyzed data using descriptive and inferential statistics. We administered two surveys: the World Health Organization Quality of Life–BREF (26 items) and the Impact of Female Chronic Pelvic Pain Questionnaire (8 items). We recruited young adults aged 18–25 who menstruate from college campuses in a large metropolitan area in the Midwest region of the United States, utilizing flyers, online social media platforms, and snowball sampling techniques.

Out of the 585 respondents, 153 (26%) reported “yes,” and 95 (16%) were “unsure” they had CPP. Those with CPP and unsure reported using various coping mechanisms for pain. They had lower scores in all four domains (physical health, psychological, social relationship, and environment) and statistically significant lower scores in three domains (physical health, social relationship, and environment) on the World Health Organization Quality of Life—BREF when compared to those who said “no.” Respondents identifying as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color had statistically significantly lower QoL in the physical health and environment domains compared to white respondents.

Young adults with CPP experience a significantly lower QoL than those without CPP, and racial differences further widen this gap. Future research should explore coping mechanisms that could benefit young adults’ daily lives.