@misc{10481/94409,
year = {2024},
month = {9},
url = {https://hdl.handle.net/10481/94409},
abstract = {Objective: This study explored whether assessing flexibility levels in clinical settings might
predict the odds of oxytocin administration and caesarean section to stimulate labour. Methods:
Pregnant women from the GESTAFIT Project (n = 157), participated in this longitudinal study.
Maternal upper-body flexibility was assessed at 16 gestational weeks (g.w.) through the Back-scratch
test. Clinical data, including oxytocin administration and type of birth, were registered from obstetric
medical records. Results: Pregnant women who required oxytocin administration or had caesarean
sections showed lower flexibility scores (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively). The receiver operating
characteristic curve analysis showed that the Back-scratch test was able to detect the need for oxytocin
administration ((area under the curve [AUC] = 0.672 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.682 (95% CI:
0.59–0.78, p = 0.001)). The AUC to establish the ability of flexibility to discriminate between vaginal
and caesarean section births was 0.672 (95% CI: 0.60–0.77, p = 0.002). A Back-scratch test worse than
4 centimetres was associated with a ~5 times greater increased odds ratio of requiring exogenous
oxytocin administration (95% CI: 2.0–11.6, p = 0.001) and a ~4 times greater increased odds ratio of
having a caesarean section (95% CI: 1.7–10.2, p = 0.002). Conclusions: These findings suggest that
lower flexibility levels at the 16th g.w. discriminates between pregnant women who will require
oxytocin and those who will not, and those with a greater risk of a caesarean section than those with
a vaginal birth. Pregnant women below the proposed Back-scratch test cut-offs at 16th g.w. might
specifically benefit from physical therapies that include flexibility training.},
organization = {Regional Ministry of Health of the Junta de Andalucía
(PI-0395-2016)},
organization = {Research and Knowledge Transfer Fund (PPIT) 2016, Excellence Actions Programme: Scientific Units of Excellence (UCEES)},
organization = {Regional Ministry of Economy, Knowledge,
Enterprises and University, European Regional Development Funds (SOMM17/6107/UGR) of the
University of Granada},
publisher = {MDPI},
keywords = {Pregnant woman},
keywords = {Physical fitness},
keywords = {Flexibility},
title = {Association between Flexibility, Measured with the Back-Scratch Test, and the Odds of Oxytocin Administration during Labour and Caesarean Section},
doi = {10.3390/jcm13175245},
author = {Aparicio García-Molina, Virginia and Marín Jiménez, Nuria and Castro Piñero, José and De la Flor Alemany, Marta and Coll-Risco, Irene and Baena García, Laura},
}