Primiparous women’s knowledge of diastasis recti abdominis, concerns about abdominal appearance, treatments, and perceived abdominal muscle strength 6–8 months postpartum. A cross sectional comparison study

Abstract

Background Diastasis recti abdominis (DRA) is a prevalent condition in the postpartum period. To date, there is scant knowledge on how DRA influences physical, mental, and emotional health. This study investigates primiparous women`s knowledge about DRA, concerns about abdominal appearance, and perceived abdominal muscle strength, comparing women with and without reported DRA. Methods This was a cross-sectional comparison study. Data were collected by a web-based questionnaire, mainly through social media in Norway. To be included in the study women had to be primiparous 6–8 months postpartum. The questionnaire contained questions regarding women`s knowledge about DRA, perceived protrusion, received treatment, concerns with abdominal appearance and muscle strength. Abdominal body image was measured through the shape concern questions from The Eating Disorder Examination questionnaire (EDE-Q 6.0). Demographic and other descriptive variables are presented as means with standard deviations (SD) or as frequencies with percentages. Chi-square test of independence and independent sample t-tests were used to compare differences between women with and without abdominal protrusion for categorical and continuous variables, respectively. Results Our sample consisted of 460 women. Knowledge about DRA was reported by 415/440 (94.3%) women. A total of 73.3% reported to have been worried during pregnancy about abdominal appearance postpartum. Mean degree of concern about present abdominal appearance was 5.5/10 (SD 2.4). Almost 80% experienced weaker abdominal muscles than pre-pregnancy. Ninety-six women (20.9%) reported a protrusion along the midline of their abdomen. Significantly more women with protrusion reported weaker abdominal muscles than women without protrusion. The most frequent treatment women with protrusion reported were exercises for the abdominal muscles (92.6%). Mean score on the EDE-Q, shape concern questions, was higher in women with reported protrusion (mean score: 2.37 (SD 1.6) than women without protrusion (mean score: 2.14 (SD 1.4), p = 0.175. Conclusion Primiparous women are concerned about abdominal appearance both during pregnancy and after birth. Those reporting abdominal protrusion are less satisfied with their abdominal appearance and they report weaker abdominal muscles than women without protrusion. This study may contribute to improved knowledge about women`s health concerns, and assessment of DRA should be part of routine follow-up of postpartum women.

Therapeutic effect of manual massage on early postpartum rectus abdominis separation and postpartum depression

“…This may be related to contemporary women’s pursuit of an ideal body shape. Postpartum DRA induces negative emotions, which will affect patients’ participation in postpartum rehabilitation, which in turn negatively affects the repair of the rectus abdominis muscles, such as further aggravation of the separation and even injury, forming a vicious cycle[ 20 ]. In the present study, the posttreatment EPDS score in the Group L was significantly lower than that in the Group S ( P < 0.05).…”

Diastasis Recti Abdominis Rehabilitation in the Postpartum Period: A Scoping Review of Current Clinical Practice

“…Furthermore, there is a misconception that DRA is primarily a cosmetic issue, underestimating its functional impact or potential associated dysfunctions [ 79 ]. A recent study revealed that women who were concerned with their abdominal appearance post-partum are most likely to seek advice on treatment through social media [ 80 ]. Improved communication among health care professionals is crucial for providing women with access to evidence-based women's health services.…”

A prospective study of two-dimensional ultrasonography combined with shear wave elastography for pregnancy-related diastasis recti abdominis

“…DRA can affect spinal and pelvic stability, alter overall body posture, and increase the risk of lumbago, chronic pelvic pain, and pelvic floor dysfunction (Benjamin et al, 2019;Eriksson Crommert et al, 2020). Some studies have reported that the body image and body satisfaction rate of patients with DRA are significantly lower than those of the general population (Keshwani et al, 2018;Gluppe et al, 2022).…”