OBJECTIVE:

To estimate the association of abdominal hysterectomy with impaired physical function and limitation of activities of daily living in elderly Colombian women.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Cross-sectional study in Colombian women aged 60-75 years who signed informed consent, allowed anthropometric measurements, and completed a form with questions on socio-demographic and clinical data. The physical function subscale of the SF-36 questionnaire was used. Bivariate logistic regressions were performed: limitation of usual activities or impairment of physical function (dependent variables) with history of hysterectomy with or without oophorectomy in pre- or postmenopause (independent variables). Four adjusted logistic regression models were also used.

RESULTS:

Seven hundred women with a mean age of 67.0 ± 4.8 years and 18.9 ± 6.3 years since menopause were evaluated. All had undergone hysterectomy with oophorectomy in the premenopausal years (4.2%); hysterectomy without oophorectomy in the premenopausal years (18.1%); hysterectomy with oophorectomy in the postmenopausal years (2.1%); and hysterectomy without oophorectomy in the postmenopausal years (8.4%). Hysterectomy with or without oophorectomy in premenopause was associated with impaired physical function (MR: 2.67; 95%CI: 1.19-5.97) and 2.02 (95%CI: 1.34-3.09), respectively. The same was true for usual activities (p < 0.05). Postmenopausal hysterectomy with ovarian preservation or removal was not associated with impaired physical function (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION:

In the sample studied, an association was found between hysterectomy with limitation of daily activities and impaired physical function. Hysterectomy with or without oophorectomy in the premenopausal years, as opposed to early postmenopausal hysterectomy, was significantly associated with physical function impairment.