title: Healthcare utilisation of pregnant women who experience sciatica, leg cramps and/or varicose veins: A cross-sectional survey of 1835 pregnant women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Common discomforts of pregnancy experienced in the lower extremity include sciatica, leg cramps and varicose veins. Whilst research attention has focused on aetiology and outcomes, the health service utilisation of pregnant women suffering from these complaints has been largely overlooked.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the health status and health service utilisation profile of pregnant women experiencing sciatica, leg cramps or varicose veins.
  
  
  METHODS
  Linear and logistic regression was applied to a cross-sectional survey of a pregnant women drawn from the 1973 to 1978 cohort (aged 31-36 years in 2009), of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (n=1835). Participant's demographics, health status and health service utilisation were compared for all three complaints based upon three subgroups (yes, sought help; yes, did not seek help; no).
  
  
  RESULTS
  A number of women experienced sciatica (22.1%), leg cramps (18.2%) or varicose veins (9.4%). Of these, a greater proportion of women with sciatica (79.3%) or varicose veins (71.5%) sought help for their condition compared with women with leg cramps (46.7%). Comparisons between women with the conditions of interest who did seek help and those who did not only found that women with a university degree were 0.29 (95% CI: 0.10, 0.85) times less likely to seek help for their condition compared to women with a school only education.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Further research examining all health seeking behaviour and treatment use of pregnant women who experience lower extremity problems is required in order to facilitate safe, effective and coordinated maternity care to further support these women during pregnancy.
authors: School of Nursing and Midwifery, Monash University, Frankston, VIC, Australia; Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia.
authors: Helen
authors: H
authors: Hall
authors: Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia; Department of Internal and Integrative Medicine, Kliniken Essen Mitte, Faculty of Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen, Knappschafts-Krakenhaus, Essen, Germany.
authors: Romy
authors: R
authors: Lauche
authors: Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia.
authors: Jon
authors: J
authors: Adams
authors: Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia; Office of Research, Endeavour College of Natural Health, Fortitude Valley, QLD, Australia. Electronic address: Amie.steel@uts.edu.au.
authors: Amie
authors: A
authors: Steel
authors: Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors: Alex
authors: A
authors: Broom
authors: Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW, Australia.
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Sibbritt
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000503:physiopathology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D009120:Muscle Cramp / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D037841:Pregnant People; D012585:Sciatica / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014648:Varicose Veins / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D016387:Women's Health; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Complementary therapies; Leg cramps; Pregnancy; Sciatica; Varicose veins