Attitudes and associated factors to antenatal physiotherapy in pregnant women at selected Hospitals in Bangladesh.

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to know about in-depth attitudes toward antenatal physiotherapy in pregnant woman and exploring the associated factors that are related in receiving antenatal physiotherapy. Objectives: To know awareness about antenatal physiotherapy, to find out referral percentage to receive antenatal physiotherapy, to explore the barriers and influencing factors related in receiving antenatal physiotherapy. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was conducted to accomplish the study. 97 subjects were selected through convenient sampling technique from Enam Medical College and Hospital, Savar, Super Medical Hospital, Savar-1343. The interviewer administered Bengali version of The Exercise Barrier Scale. Each item of Exercise Barrier Scale questionnaire was rated on a 4-point Likert scale, from 1 (strongly agree) to 4 (strongly disagree). Data were analyzed through descriptive and inferential statistics. The Chi-square test, Fisher Exact test were applied. Results: In the study the total participants mean age was 25.5 ± 4.21, the minimum age was 18 years old and the maximum age was 36. 67% of participant had awareness about antenatal Physiotherapy and 33% were not aware about antenatal Physiotherapy. This research indicates that 53.6% pregnant women feel that prenatal physiotherapy plays a beneficial function, whereas 40.2% are unsure and 6.2% declines it. Among all participants, just 2.1% of pregnant women were recommended to prenatal physiotherapy by their doctor, while 97.9% of women were neither referred nor advised by their consultant doctor. In this study significant association was found between awareness of antenatal physiotherapy with educational qualification (p-value .00) and recommendation for antenatal physiotherapy (p-value .005). Significant associations were found between referral status and receiving antenatal physiotherapy status (p-value .001). Conclusion: this study explains the attitudes and barriers perceived by the pregnant women. .Physiotherapy can provide great support to the suffering of a pregnant woman’s antenatal musculoskeletal complaints as their attitude is quite positive still more knowledge and publicity needed about prenatal physiotherapy among different level of the population of this country. Keywords: Pregnancy, Antenatal physiotherapy, Perceived barriers etc.