Table 3.

Soft Tissue Pelvic Dimensions of African-American and White Participants

	African American (n=56)	White (n=178)	P*	P (Restricted)†
Width of levator hiatus	3.8±0.6	3.8±0.5	.52
Width of right levator sling muscle	0.4±0.2	0.4±0.2	.61
Width of left levator sling muscle	0.6±0.2	0.5±0.2	<.001
H line (rest)	4.5±0.8	4.4±0.7	.35
H line (strain)	5.6±1.1	5.2±1.2	.009‡	<.001
H line difference (not seen at site)	1.1±0.9	0.8±1.0	.044§	.012
M line (rest)	1.1±0.5	1.4±0.6	.49
M line (strain)	2.6±1.4	2.5±1.2	.52‡	.008
M line difference	1.5±1.3	1.1±1.1	.40§	.003
Distance from bladder neck to pubococcygeal line (rest)	2.3±0.6	2.1±0.5	.89§	.072

All dimensions are in centimeters unless otherwise noted. Values are expressed as mean±standard deviation

^*P values are adjusted for delivery cohort.

^†P value for difference between African-American and white women, restricted to women who delivered by vaginal birth without sphincter tear. P values are listed only if there is a significant interaction between delivery group and race.

^‡Adjusted for cohort and for significant interaction of cohort and race.

^§P values are adjusted for cohort and age and restraining analysis to a subpopulation younger than 30 years of age.