The Sense of Coherence and Associated Factors of the Lived Experience of Pregnant Patients Attending Care in a Chiropractic Practice-Based Research Network
Creators: name: Alcantara, Joel
Publisher: name: Southern Cross University
Year: 2024
Subjects: Sense of Coherence
Quality of Life
General Self-efficacy
Health Locus of Control
Pregnancy
Chiropractic

description: The World Health Organization defines chiropractic as a healthcare profession concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disorders of the neuromusculoskeletal system, and the effects of these disorders on general health. Although chiropractors have cared for pregnant women since chiropractic’s inception, systematic reviews of the literature reveal the research evidence for chiropractic pregnancy care as emergent.
description: The aims of this thesis are to characterize chiropractic pregnancy care from the perspective of chiropractors versed in pregnancy care, evaluate the sense of coherence and associated health constructs (i.e., quality of life, general self-efficacy, health locus of control and patient satisfaction) of pregnant and non-pregnant women who are chiropractic patients and assess the lived experience of pregnant women under chiropractic care. Guided by a philosophical framework of pragmatism, this thesis consists of a parallel mixed methods design employing a survey of chiropractors, a survey of pregnant and non-pregnant chiropractic patients and semi-structured interviews of pregnant chiropractic patients.
description: Chiropractors provide care to pregnant women to address pregnancy-related musculoskeletal complaints such as low back and/or pelvic girdle pain and complaints of non-musculoskeletal origin such as morning sickness, and gastroesophageal reflux. Towards these efforts, chiropractors modify and utilize a number of chiropractic spinal manipulation techniques and prescribe adjunctive therapies such as exercise, nutrition and herbal remedies. Chiropractors are of the opinion that their care protocols for pregnant women are safe and collaborate with other healthcare providers when necessary. As chiropractic patients, pregnant women have a relatively high sense of coherence, have compromised physical functioning and pain interference but experience lower levels of depression relative to non-pregnant women. Pregnant and non-pregnant women under chiropractic care have similar measures in general self-efficacy and in the domains of the health locus of control and have high ratings with their interpersonal process of care experience. The essence of the lived experience of pregnant women is that with chiropractic care, pregnant women satisfy their need for self-determination, have an enhanced and transformative pregnancy experience towards a natural and conservative approach to pregnancy and childbirth.
description: Overall, this thesis brought to the forefront the unique role of chiropractors in pregnancy care and insights to pregnant women’s sense of well-being, health-related beliefs and their ability to cope with stress. Chiropractors can help support a pregnant woman’s health and wellbeing, provide a positive pregnancy experience, and provide support in promoting a healthy lifestyle during pregnancy and beyond.