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Table 2 Concerns and satisfaction with abdominal appearance and perceived abdominal strength in primiparous women 6–8 months postpartum

From: 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

 

Total sample

Women reporting protrusion

Women without protrusion

Difference between groups, p-value

Worries during pregnancy about abdominal appearance postpartum

Yes, to some/great extent

No

321/438 (73.3%)

117/438 (26.7%)

76/321 (23.7%)

20/117 (17.1%)

245/321 (76.3%)

97/117 (82.9%)

0.153

Present degree of abdominal appearance concern

5.5 (SD 2.4)a

6.16 (SD 2.3)b

5.35 (SD 2.4)c

0.003 (MD -0.8, 95% CI -1.3,-0.3)

Striae

Yes, some/many

No, none

Bothersomeness of striae

145/438 (33.1%)

293/438 (66.9%)

3.7 (SD 3.2)d

27/145 (18.6%)

69/293 (23.5%)

4.11 (SD 3.66)e

118/145 (81.4%)

224/293 (76.5%)

3.56 (SD 3.11)f

0.270

0.423 (MD -0.6, 95% CI -1.9, 0.8)

Lax skin

Yes, in some/great extent

No

Bothersomeness of lax skin

298/438 (68.1%)

140/438 (31.9%)

4.1 (SD 2.8)g

69/298 (23.2%)

27/140 (19.3%)

4.64 (SD 2.95)h

229/298 (76.8%)

113/140 (80.7%)

3.97 (SD 2.74)i

0.388

0.082 (MD -0.67, 95% CI -1.42, 0.09)

Overall degree of satisfaction with abdominal appearance

5.8 (SD 2.6)a

5.29 (SD 2.8)b

5.90 (SD 2.54)c

0.043 (MD 0.61, 95% CI 0.02–1.19)

Too much focus in social media about flat abdomen postpartum

Yes, quite/strongly agree

No, quite/strongly disagree or neither

310/438 (70.8%)

128/438 (29.2%)

73/310 (23.5%)

23/128 (18%)

237/310 (76.5%)

105/128 (82%)

0.253

Concerns from family/friends (abdominal appearance)

Yes, to some/great extent

No

152/438 (34.7%)

286/438 (65.3%)

33/152 (21.7%)

63/286 (22%)

119/152 (78.3%)

223/286 (78%)

1.000

Weaker abdominal muscles than pre-pregnancy.

Yes, slightly/very much

No, similar/stronger

349/438 (79.6%)

89/438 (20.4%)

90/349 (25.8%)

6/89 (6.7%)

259/349 (74.2%)

83/89 (93.3%)

< 0.001

  1. Values are presented for the total sample and women with and without reported protrusion as means with standard deviations (SD) or as frequencies with percentages (valid percent reported). There are dissimilar numbers of women responding to each question in the table
  2. aTotal n = 438; 22 women did not answer the questions about abdominal appearance in the questionnaire
  3. bTotal n = 96 women reported protrusion in the questionnaire
  4. cTotal n = 342 women did not reported protrusion in the questionnaire
  5. dTotal n = 145; only responded by women who reported striae in the questionnaire
  6. eTotal n = 27; women with stria who reported striae in the questionnaire
  7. fTotal n = 118; women with striae, who reported no protrusion in the questionnaire
  8. gTotal n = 298; only responded by women who reported lax skin in the questionnaire
  9. hTotal n = 69; women with lax skin who reported protrusion in the questionnaire
  10. iTotal n = 229; women with lax skin who reported no protrusion in the questionnaire
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BMC Women's Health

ISSN: 1472-6874

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