The purpose of this study was to elucidate the health status of women who have experienced miscarriage or stillbirth and to examine the relationship between subsequent depressive tendencies, locomotive function and health status.
A web-based questionnaire survey was conducted on women who had experienced at least one miscarriage or stillbirth. Basic demographic information, pregnancy history, and current self-reported physical and mental symptoms were collected. They were also asked about locomotive function, the 5-question Geriatric Locomotive Function Scale (GLFS-5), a shortened version of the 25-question Geriatric Locomotive Function Scale (Seichi et al., 2012). Additionally, the Two-Item (Whooley) Depression Screen was administered as a screening tool for depressive tendencies. Binomial logistic regression analysis was performed, with the depressive tendencies as the dependent variable and the following as explanatory variables: years since the last postpartum, number of physical symptoms, frequency of miscarriages or stillbirths, and GLFS-5 scores.
A final total of 44 participants were included in the analysis. The mean age of participants was 38.1 years, and the average BMI was 21.5. The mean number of pregnancies was 2.9, and the average number of miscarriages and stillbirths was 2.0. Five individuals (11.6%) were classified as having locomotive dysfunction according to the GLFS-5 scale. The mean GLFS-5 score was 2.6 points (SD 3.4, range 0-18 points). 32 participants (72.7%) were categorized as exhibiting positive depressive tendencies. The highly prevalent physical symptoms were stiff shoulders (27 individuals, 61.4%), depressed mood (21 individuals, 47.7%), low back pain (20 individuals, 45.5%), chronic fatigue (18 individuals, 40.9%), and headache (16 individuals, 36.4%). The analysis revealed that the GLFS-5 score (p=0.048, 95% CI 1.005-2.553) was the sole factor significantly influencing depressive tendencies, with each one-point increase in the GLFS-5 score associated with a 1.6-fold increase in the risk of depression.
Although mental health and grief care are the focus of the coping process after following miscarriage and stillbirth, these findings suggest that locomotive function is associated with depressive tendencies. It is recommended that interventions for physical function, physical symptoms, and activities of daily living are desirable after miscarriage and stillbirth, similar to the care provided postpartum for live births.
The healthy recovery of women who have experienced miscarriage or stillbirth is of paramount importance, and there is considerable potential for physiotherapy to make significant contributions in this area. Further detailed research is needed on inter-conception care between the postpartum period and subsequent pregnancy.
postpartum
locomotive function
