Abstract:
Background: Pregnancy is a special condition that can cause numerous physiological changes in
a
woman’s body. Hormonal and anatomical changes during pregnancy create various
musculoskeletal discomforts. These discomforts can be varied across the trimesters and limit the
activities of daily living.
Objective: To identify the prevalence of musculoskeletal discomforts among pregnant women
attending antenatal clinics in Tissamaharama MOH area
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among conveniently selected 293
pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Tissamaharama MOH area. Pregnant women with
major musculoskeletal problems before pregnancy, who have diagnosed with high-risk problems
and psychiatric illnesses were excluded from the study. Data were collected using a pre-tested
questionnaire. Chi-square test, independent sample t-test and ANOVA were used to analyse the
data.
Results: The mean(±SD) age of the pregnant women was 28.37(±5.1) years. The majority (95%)
were Sinhalese and only 6.80% were employed. There were 54 (19.30%), 117 (41.80%) and 109
(38.90%) pregnant women in their first, second and third trimester, respectively. In the first
trimester, the most experienced musculoskeletal discomforts were lower back pain (44.44%), feet
pain (25.92%) and pelvic girdle pain (22.22%). In the second trimester, the most reported
discomfort was lower back pain (64.10%) followed by leg cramps (41.81%) and feet pain
(34.01%). In the third trimester, lower back pain (73.39%), leg cramps (56.88%), pelvic girdle
pain (44.03%) and feet pain (44.03%) were commonly reported with higher prevalence compared
to first and second trimesters. There was a significant association between the level of education,
body weight, trimester and the musculoskeletal discomforts (p<0.05).
Conclusions: The most prevalent musculoskeletal discomfort throughout the pregnancy was
lower back pain and the most discomforts were reported in the third trimester.
