Prevalence and Correlation of Lumbo-pelvic Pain with Depression, Anxiety, Stress and Mobility levels in Pregnant Women

Abstract

Pregnancy-related lumbo-pelvic pain (LPP) is a prevalent condition with physical and psychological risk factors. Objective: To investigate the relationship between lumbo-pelvic pain during pregnancy, psychological and physical risk factors. Methods: An observational cross sectional study recruited 210 pregnant women from a reputable tertiary care hospital. Duration of study was 6 months. The study was conducted in line with ethical standards set by the ethical committee of CMH Lahore Medical College and Institute of Dentistry. In accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Written informed consent was taken from each participant. This study interviewed the pregnant ladies in 2nd and 3rd trimesters and collected data about demographic information and included the Pregnancy Mobility Index Scale (PMI), the Disability, Anxiety, Stress Scale (DASS-21) questionnaire and Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS). Authors explained each term mentioned in all questionnaires to participants in Urdu or Punjabi language so that every participant was able to understand complex terms. Spearman correlation coefficient test had been used for calculating correlation. Results: LPP was reported in 146 pregnant women. There was a significant correlation between pain and psychological risk factors such as: between LPP and stress there was r=0.39, p<0.05, between LPP and anxiety there was r=0.36, p<0.05, between LPP and depression there was r=0.41, p<0.05. There was a weak correlation between LPP and physiological risk factors with p-value of 0.002 and r=0.212. The mean age of participants was 27.46 years. Conclusions: Lumbo-pelvic pain was found in 69.5% pregnant women. Lumbo-pelvic pain was significantly correlated with mobility levels and psychological factors such as depression, stress and anxiety in 2nd and 3rd trimesters.