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Physical symptoms induced by pregnancy are often perceived as a normal part of the physiological process and therefore not commonly discussed in clinical settings during prenatal care. This study aimed to explore how pregnant individuals adapt to physical symptoms related to their pregnancy, using the perspective of collective sensemaking. A retrospective study design with an inductive thematic analysis approach of qualitative data extracted from web‐based forum posts was conducted. Among 574 initial posts and 2801 comments, three themes were identified: (i) awareness of changing pregnancy body, (ii) uncertainty about physical symptoms, and (iii) coping with discomforts associated with pregnancy. A shared identity as a group of individuals dealing with similar challenges enables pregnant individuals to develop a better comprehension of their experiences. Healthcare professionals should recognize the importance of individual and collective sensemaking in pregnancy forums and strive to provide a supportive and empathetic environment for pregnant individuals to share their experiences and seek guidance.

Background. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) appears to be the common therapy in middle-aged women. The constitution serves as a guide for TCM treatment. However, little is known about the constitution and related factors in middle-aged women. The objectives of this study were to describe the yang-deficiency, yin-deficiency, and stasis constitutions in middle-aged women. Demographic and health factors related to yang deficiency, yin deficiency, and stasis were also examined. Methods. A total of 1,000 women aged 40–65 years were selected from 2009 through 2018 using random sampling from the Taiwan Biobank Research Database in Taiwan. Yang-deficiency, yin-deficiency, and stasis were assessed using the body constitution questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with constitution in deficiency or stasis. Results. The proportions of middle-aged women who had the constitution in yang-deficiency, yin-deficiency, and stasis were 29.7%, 21.7%, and 17.7%, respectively. The result of binary logistic regression showed that current menstruation, abnormal spirometry, and education level were predictive factors of yang deficiency. Women with younger age, abnormal spirometry, or a vegetarian diet had a significantly associated yin deficiency. Younger age, abnormal spirometry, and coffee habit were predictors of stasis. Conclusions. Middle-aged women in Taiwan with abnormal spirometry had a higher risk for deficiency or stasis constitutions, especially for those younger than 56 years. Healthcare providers should learn patients’ constitutions and provide appropriate advice, referring them to safe providers of their desired method.

In recent decades, patient safety in orthopedics has gained increasing importance and has been regarded as a core concept of medical care quality. However, according to currently published studies, measurement instruments used to evaluate post-surgery orthopedic patient’s perceptions are still very rare. This study aimed to develop a new measurement instrument, the self-perceived safety of orthopedic post-surgery inpatients (SPSOPSI) scale, which can provide healthcare workers with a better understanding of orthopedic patients’ self-perceived safety and give more precise clinical suggestions. Item analysis and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) were used, and the results showed that the six-factor model is good-fit: root mean square residual (RMR) 0.00, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) 0.06, goodness-of-fit index (GFI) 0.90, comparative fit index (CFI) 0.98, incremental fit index (IFI) 0.98. The results showed the SPSOPSI scale is a valid and reliable tool for health care providers can use to evaluate orthopedic post-surgery patients’ perceived safety.

BACKGROUND Pregnancy-induced physical symptoms are less often discussed in a clinical setting during prenatal care as these have been mostly viewed as a normal part of the physiological process. However, pregnancy has been found to be a period of active online searching. Exploring online forums have the potential to gain in-depth knowledge about issues on physical discomforts that pregnant women discuss with their peers who have similar experiences or are living in comparable circumstances. OBJECTIVE The study aimed to explore types of pregnancy-related physical symptoms among pregnant women and to further identify the concerns that prompted women to discuss online. METHODS A retrospective qualitative study of web-based forum postings was conducted in two stages: (1) identifying eligible discussion forums and (2) identifying relevant postings. Forum postings between July 2016 and June 2017 were purposively selected and analyzed using the inductive approach. The SRQR guideline was followed for reporting this qualitative research. RESULTS In total, 574 initial postings and 2801 comments were selected from 3 eligible discussion forums. Eighteen categories of pregnancy-related physical symptoms were considered for discussion, among which nausea and vomiting accounted for one-quarter of the discussion postings. Concerns that prompted pregnant women to discuss with peers were diagnosis-oriented, solution-oriented, and emotion-oriented. CONCLUSIONS Analysis of web-based pregnancy discussion forums can be a valuable resource to better understand pregnancy issues. Thus, this present study was able to highlight significant concerns pertaining to physical symptoms and discomfort during pregnancy. Three different types of concerns have reflected women’s psychological aspects in adapting to physical changes during pregnancy progression.