Int Urogynecol J (2009) 20:1013–1021 1017 Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the total study population group 1, group 2 who underwent vaginal examination divided into symptomatic and asymptomatic women expressed as percentages (%) with means and the non-responders who filled out the short-questionnaire group 3 Questionnaire 1, Group 1 n =1,397 58.0 (SD±9.2) 25.6 (SD±3.9) Vaginal exam, Group 2 n =649 No bulge n =570 58.0 (SD±8.9) 25.6±3.7 Bulge n=79 (12.2%) 59.3 (SD±9.1) 25.5±3.1 Short questionnaire non-responders, Group 3 n=620 59.2 2 67 (10.6) 102 (16.1) 277 (43.6) 180 (28.3) Characteristics of the study population Mean age (range 45–84) years Mean BMI Ethnicity White Non-white Educational level Primary only Intermediate Higher Parity, median 0 1 2 ≥3 Menopausal status (Pre)menopausal Postmenopausal (Pre)menopausal with HRT (Pre)menopausal with HRT Postmenopausal with HRT Smoking Current smoker Ever smoker Incont in pregnancy POP in pregnancy Surgical history Prolapse Incontinence Hysterectomy Family history Mother POP Mother UI Heavy physical work Currently Ever 1,351 (98.4) 20 (1.5) (n=1,374) 139 (9.9) 1,039 (75.6) 196 (14.3) (n=1,340) 2 120 (8.9) 215 (16) 675 (50.3) 387 (28.8) (n=1,383) 374 (27) 1,009 (72.9) (n=1,361) 24 (1.7) 63 (4.6) (n=1,382) 280 (20.2) 345 (46.3) 342 (25.8) (n=1,328) 270 (20.3) (n=1,384) 103 (7.4) 47 (3.4) 234 (16.9) (n=985) 359 (26.4) (n=870) 258 (29.6) n =1,381 269 (19.3) n =1,384 619 (44.3) 545 (98.7) 7 (1.3) (n=556) 63 (11.3) 420 (75.5) 73(13.1) (n=551) 2 46 (8.3) 71 (12.9) 273 (49.5) 161 (29.2) (n=557) 151 (27.1) 406 (72.9) (n=551) 9 (1.6) 23 (4.2) (n=556) 117 (21) (n=228) 158 (54.8) 141 (30.7) (n=541) 113 (20.9) (n=557) 37 (6.6) 21 (3.8) 85 (15.3) (n=397) 139 (35) (n=357) 106 (29.7) (n=553) 109 (19.7) (n=556) 248 (44.6) 78 (100) 0 (n=78) 7 (9) 60 (76.9) 11 (14.1) (n=78) 2 3 (3.8) 13 (16.6) 46 (58.9) 16 (20.5) (n=79) 16 (20.2) 63 (79.7) (n=79) 0 7 (8.9) (n=78) 16 (20.5) (n=39) 25 (64.1) 23 (26) (n=75) 28 (37.3) (n=79) 16 (20.2) 3 (3.9) 20 (25.3) (n=44) 22 (50) (n=41) 16 (39) (n=79) 18 (22.8) (n=79) 39 (49.3)