Prevalence and characteristics of women who consult with osteopathic practitioners during pregnancy; a report from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH)

Jane Frawley; Tobias Sundberg; Amie Steel; David Sibbritt; Alex Broom; Jon Adams

doi:10.1016/j.jbmt.2015.03.004

Prevalence and characteristics of women who consult with osteopathic practitioners during pregnancy; a report from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH)

J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2016 Jan;20(1):168-172. doi: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2015.03.004. Epub 2015 Mar 21.

Authors

Jane Frawley¹, Tobias Sundberg², Amie Steel³, David Sibbritt⁴, Alex Broom⁵, Jon Adams⁴

Affiliations

¹ Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM), Faculty of Health, UTS, Level 7, Building 10, 235-253 Jones Street, Ultimo, NSW 2006 Australia; Endeavour College of Natural Health, Level 2, 269 Wickham St, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, QLD 4006 Australia. Electronic address: jane.e.frawley@student.uts.edu.au.
² Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM), Faculty of Health, UTS, Level 7, Building 10, 235-253 Jones Street, Ultimo, NSW 2006 Australia; Research Unit for Studies of Integrative Health Care, Karolinska Institutet (NVS/OMV), Alfred Nobels Alle 23, 141 83 Stockholm, Sweden; IC - The Integrative Care Science Centre, 153 91 Jarna, Sweden.
³ Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM), Faculty of Health, UTS, Level 7, Building 10, 235-253 Jones Street, Ultimo, NSW 2006 Australia; Endeavour College of Natural Health, Level 2, 269 Wickham St, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, QLD 4006 Australia.
⁴ Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM), Faculty of Health, UTS, Level 7, Building 10, 235-253 Jones Street, Ultimo, NSW 2006 Australia.
⁵ Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.

PMID: 26891652
DOI: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2015.03.004

Abstract

Background/aim: The use of complementary medicine (CM) is common during pregnancy with visits to osteopathic practitioners growing in recent years. This study was conducted to investigate the prevalence and characteristics of women who consult osteopathic practitioners during pregnancy.

Method: The study sample was obtained via the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH). The women answered questions about consultations with osteopathic practitioners, pregnancy-related health concerns and attitudes to CM use.

Results: A total response rate of 79.2% (1835) was obtained. Of these, 104 women (6.1%) consulted with an osteopath during pregnancy for a pregnancy-related health condition. Women were more likely to consult an osteopath if they suffered from back pain, sadness, weight management issues, or had a history of retained placenta.

Conclusion: Women are visiting osteopaths for help with common pregnancy health complaints, highlighting the need for research to evaluate the safety, clinical and cost effectiveness of osteopathy in pregnancy.

Keywords: Back pain; Complementary medicine; Osteopathy; Pregnancy.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Adult
Australia
Female
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Humans
Longitudinal Studies
Osteopathic Medicine / statistics & numerical data*
Pregnancy
Pregnant Women*
Prevalence
Residence Characteristics
Socioeconomic Factors
Women's Health