title: Managing the pain of labour: factors associated with the use of labour pain management for pregnant Australian women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite high rates of women's use of intrapartum pain management techniques, little is known about the factors that influence such use.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Examine the determinants associated with women's use of labour pain management.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional survey of a substudy of women from the 'young' cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study of Women's Health (ALSWH).
  
  
  METHODS
  Women aged 31-35 years who identified as being pregnant or recently given birth in the 2009 ALSWH survey (n = 2445) were recruited for the substudy. The substudy survey was completed by 1835 women (RR = 79.2%).
  
  
  METHODS
  Determinants examined included pregnancy health and maternity care [including complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)] for their most recent pregnancy and any previous pregnancies. Participants' attitudes and beliefs related to both CAM and maternity care were also included in the analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The outcome measures examined were the use of both pharmacological and non-pharmacological pain management techniques (NPMT).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Differences were seen in the effects of demographics, health service utilization, health status, use of CAM, and attitudes and beliefs upon use of intrapartum pain management techniques across all categories. The only variable that was identified as a determinant for use of all types of pain management techniques was a previous caesarean section (CS).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The effect of key determinants on women's use of pain management techniques differs significantly, and, other than CS, no one determinant is clearly influential in the use of all pain management options.
authors.affiliation: Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM), Faculty of Health, UTS, Ultimo, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Amie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Steel
authors.affiliation: Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM), Faculty of Health, UTS, Ultimo, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Jon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.affiliation: Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM), Faculty of Health, UTS, Ultimo, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sibbritt
authors.affiliation: School of Social Science, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Broom
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Cindy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gallois
authors.affiliation: Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM), Faculty of Health, UTS, Ultimo, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Frawley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D002755:Choice Behavior; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000379:methods; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D048949:Labor Pain / Q000628:therapy*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D059408:Pain Management / Q000379:methods*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011295:Prenatal Care
keywords: complementary and alternative medicine; determinants; obstetric anaesthesia; obstetric analgesia; pregnancy