Physical Functional Performance Tests in Pregnant Women

Background

Pregnancy is a time in a woman’s life that is associated with considerable physiological changes, which may lead to lumbopelvic pain. Previous studies indicate a direct relationship between pain/disability and how this can affect physical functional performance. Therefore, evaluating functional status based on physical functional performance normative data can help to provide a baseline to guide clinical decision-making for both physiotherapists and policy makers. However, no data have been collected to examine the functional status of pregnant women.

Aims

To thoroughly examine the clinical application of the physical functional performance used on pregnant women with and without lumbopelvic pain in Kuwait.

Method

A mixed-method sequential exploratory design approach, consisting of three phases: 1. A scoping review to map the breadth of the literature related to the field of physical functional performance assessment in pregnant women. 2. A qualitative study: focus group semi-structured interviews with nine senior physiotherapists using thematic framework analysis. 3. A quantitative study: the normative reference values were determined by the use of timed up and go and a 10-meter walk test with 426 pregnant women with and without lumbopelvic pain based on demographic factors associated with physical functional performance.

Findings

There is a lack of studies that test physical functional performance among pregnant women, with only three valid ones currently available. This may be due to the multiple barriers related to the application of physical functional performance among physiotherapists. The normative data indicate that the median score for physical functional performance in pregnant women was lower with higher body mass index, pain, advanced in the pregnancy, and a lower level of physical activity. In general, the study's findings advance our knowledge and comprehension of pregnant women's functional status by offering thorough insights, locating predictors, analysing data, making evidence-based recommendations, and acting as a resource for stakeholders and different clinical practitioners.

Conclusion

Our study provides novel normative reference value data for two functional performance tests among pregnant women. The information acquired for this thesis provides a consistent framework for evaluating and interpreting functional performance throughout pregnancy, which bridges a large research gap. The information painted a clear picture of Kuwaiti pregnant women's functional state. Pregnant women with lumbopelvic pain or functional disorders may find this data helpful for assessment; judgments on potential early treatments can be made by iii evaluating the results based on reference values. Till now, there hasn't been a lot of thorough information available on how functional performance varies during different phases of pregnancy and among women with varied body mass indices, degrees of discomfort, and physical activity. By highlighting these characteristics, it is evident that our data provide something novel and noteworthy to the knowledge of functional performance in pregnant women. It also provides insightful information and useful applications for future study as well as clinical practice.