title: Complementary and alternative medicine practitioner use prior to pregnancy predicts use during pregnancy.
abstract: The objective of the authors in this study was to determine if prior visits to a complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioner were associated with CAM use during pregnancy. The study sample comprised the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Women were surveyed prior to pregnancy in 2006, and then again in 2010 if they were pregnant or had recently given birth, and asked a range of questions relating to demographic variables, health status, and use of CAM. A multivariable analysis identified significant covariates associated with visits to specific CAM practitioner modalities during pregnancy. Of the 447 women who consulted a CAM practitioner prior to pregnancy, 62.4% (n = 279) continued this use during pregnancy. Prior use of massage therapy, acupuncture, herbalist/naturopath, or chiropractor was related to use of the same service during pregnancy. Higher income and working full-time were associated with the continued use of massage, while continued visits to a chiropractor were associated with having depressive symptoms, a urinary tract infection, and living in a rural community. Prior use of CAM was highly related to continuing use during pregnancy. Further research is required to elucidate the benefits women attain from a CAM-model of care that they do not get from their conventional maternity care providers alone.
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Health, Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM) , University of Technology Sydney , Ultimo , New South Wales , Australia.
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Frawley
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Health, Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM) , University of Technology Sydney , Ultimo , New South Wales , Australia.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sibbritt
authors.affiliation: b Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences , University of New South Wales , Sydney , New South Wales , Australia.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Broom
authors.affiliation: c Faculty of Social and Behavioural Science , University of Queensland , St. Lucia , Queensland , Australia.
authors.forename: Cindy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gallois
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Health, Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM) , University of Technology Sydney , Ultimo , New South Wales , Australia.|d Endeavour College of Natural Health , Brisbane , Queensland , Australia.
authors.forename: Amie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Steel
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Health, Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine (ARCCIM) , University of Technology Sydney , Ultimo , New South Wales , Australia.
authors.forename: Jon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Adams
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000628:therapy*; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016387:Women's Health
keywords: Complementary and alternative medicine; longitudinal; pregnancy