Socioeconomic status of parents and the occurrence of pelvic inflammatory disease among undergraduates attending Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Edo State, Nigeria

Background: Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is a major cause of gynaecological morbidity globally. Complications from PID include infertility, ectopic pregnancy and chronic pelvic pain. Low socioeconomic status (SES) is a risk factor for the occurrence of PID. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the association between SES of parents and the occurrence of PID among undergraduates attending Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, Irrua. Methodology: The study was a hospital-based, descriptive cross-sectional study. Three hundred and sixty female undergraduates attending the hospital were consecutively recruited and clinically assessed for the presence of PID using the WHO and CDC MMWR 2010 criteria for the clinical assessment of PID. Their SES was determined by Oyedeji social class categorisation. Data were analysed using Epi Info 3.5.4. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise the data, and Chi-square was used to test for association. Results: There was a significant association between SES of parents and multiple sex partners (P < 0.02), previous sexually transmitted infection (STI) (P = 0.05), unprotected sex (P < 0.001), history of induced abortion (P < 0.001) and surgical termination of pregnancy (P < 0.01). There was also association between occurrence of PID among respondents and multiple sexual partners (P < 0.001), previous history of STI (P = 0.02), non-persistent use of condom (P < 0.001), history of induced abortion (P < 0.01) and surgical termination of pregnancy (P < 0.01). There was however no significant association between SES of parents and occurrence of PID (P = 0.14) though PID was highest among respondents from low SES. Conclusion: Occurrence of PID among undergraduates was not associated with their SES. However, identified risk factors for PID among study population such as multiple sex partners, previous STI, unprotected sex and history of induced abortion were associated with the SES.