Dual Method P6 Acupressure Therapy for Nausea and Vomiting during Early Pregnancy in Indonesia: A Mixed Method Study

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Nausea and vomiting during pregnancy (NVP) are not only considered to be a sign of discomfort both culturally and clinically but also seen as potential safety risks for mothers and their unborn children. One of the non-pharmacological complementary therapies was the use of acupressure. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness, safety, and satisfaction of the dual method of P6 acupressure as an intervention in affected pregnant women to reduce NVP and explore the method P6 acupressure perception as the intervention of choice in the treatment of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy. MATERIALS AND METHOD: A mixed-methods sequential explanatory study was conducted which consisted of two phases: quantitative followed by qualitative. The first phase involved the recruitment of 120 pregnant women with moderate to severe NVP symptoms. Six participants were in the intervention group qualitative phase. RESULTS: The Pregnancy-Unique Quantification of Emesis (PUQE) scores of participants in the intervention group were lower compared to that of the control group after the intervention period (p=<0.01). The PUQE score was found to be reduced in the intervention group of having severe into having mild symptoms. There were no adverse effects reported after the intervention. Majority of the participants were satisfied after using the dual P6 acupressure method (Z=1830, p<0.01).Meanwhile, during the qualitative phase, six themes emerged. CONCLUSION: A dual method of P6 acupressure therapy could be effective, safe, and satisfactory in relieving NVP. Therefore, maternity care providers may consider using this method as a therapeutic alternative for the management of NVP.