Correlates of hysterectomy among African-American women

Hysterectomy is the second most common surgery performed on US women. Basel ine data from a large study of African-American women were used to examine correlates of premenopausal hysterectomy. Analyses were conducted on partic ipants aged 30-49 years; 5,163 had had a hysterectomy and 29,787 were still menstruating. Multiple logistic regression was used to compute prevalence odds ratios for the association of hysterectomy with Various factors. Hyste rectomy was associated with region of residence: Odds ratios for living in the South, Midwest, and West relative to the Northeast were 2.63 (95% confi dence interval (CI): 2.38, 2.91), 2.02 (95% CI: 1.81, 2.25), and 1.89 (95% CI: 1.68, 2.12), respectively. Hysterectomy was inversely associated with y ears of education and age at first birth: Odds ratios were 1.96 (95% CI: 1. 74, 2.21) for less than or equal to 12 years of education relative to >16 y ears and 4.33 (95% CI: 3.60, 5.22) for first birth before age 20 relative t o age 30 or older. Differences in the prevalence of major indications for h ysterectomy did not explain the associations. This study indicates that the correlates of hysterectomy among African-American women are similar to tho se for White US women. The associations with geographic region and educatio nal attainment suggest that there may be modifiable factors which could lea d to reduced hysterectomy rates.