Marlene Sinclair | University of Ulster (original) (raw)

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Papers by Marlene Sinclair

Research paper thumbnail of Co-creating a bespoke antenatal sonic environment, using mobile technology, to impact positively on the relationship that parents have with their unborn baby

Technology-enabled care (TEC) is now an integral element of the solutions to many of the challeng... more Technology-enabled care (TEC) is now an integral element of the solutions to many of the challenges facing the health and social care sectors [1]. Incorporation of multimedia and immersive technologies can enhance provision of care [2]. This paper outlines the development of an audio-visual mobile app which facilitates the co-creation by prospective parents of a bespoke sonic environment, relevant to them and to the unborn child. It is proposed that the interactive process by which the parents virtually construct a palette of sound objects, comprising familiar voices, elemental sounds and short musical extracts, then co-design an original soundscape, can enhance engagement of the parents, particularly the often under-represented fathers [3], in the antenatal process.

Research paper thumbnail of How do women manage pregnancy-related low back and/or pelvic pain? Descriptive findings from an online survey

Evidence Based Midwifery, Sep 1, 2014

Background. Low back pain is typically experienced by over 60% of pregnant women and pelvic pain ... more Background. Low back pain is typically experienced by over 60% of pregnant women and pelvic pain by almost 20%(Pennick and Liddle, 2013). The treatment offered for this condition is mostly physiotherapy, but this is not always effective,or evaluated positively by women. Midwives accept that low back pain and/or pelvic pain (LBPP) is common during pregnancyand treatment is conservative and often includes paracetamol, alongside a variety of physiotherapeutic interventions. However,there is growing concern over the use of medications by pregnant women with LBPP. Therefore, an online survey wasundertaken to explore women’s experiences of LBPP, treatments used and their perceived satisfaction and effectiveness.Aim. To determine the treatments women use to manage LBPP in pregnancy, how helpful they find them and how satisfiedthey are with them.Method. An online UK survey was designed to investigate the incidence of LBPP among women who have recently given birthwithin the UK. The survey was developed and distributed using Qualtrics online software and contained 92 items piloted with10 women who had given birth within the previous two years. The Doctoral Midwifery Research Society website hosted thesurvey and the popular mother and baby websites Netmums and Bounty advertised the study. Ethical and research governanceapproval was granted by the University of Ulster. The survey collected data on demographics, birth outcomes, body massindex (BMI), pain, treatments for LBPP in pregnancy, and physical activity levels. Women were eligible to complete the surveyif they had given birth in the last two years, could understood and read English and were willing to take part.Findings. A total of 331 women accessed the survey, 191 were eligible to take part and 176 completed the survey. The meanage was 30.46 (SD 7.60) and 95% of women were white. The sample response was heavily weighted towards England (75%),with smaller proportions of respondents from Scotland (11%), Northern Ireland (8%) and Wales (6%). The average BMI ofsurvey respondents before their most recent pregnancy was 26.Most women reported being active on two days each week and walking was the most popular activity (81%). Mean lowback pain intensity was 6.43 on a 0 to 10 sliding scale, mean frequency of low back pain was 7.16, mean pelvic pain was 7.62,and mean pelvic pain frequency was 8. Most women had a vaginal birth (66%) and delivered at 36 to 42 weeks’ gestation(78%). A large number of women (110/157) had suffered LBPP before their pregnancy, with many using over-the-counterpainkillers. Painkillers were used by 96 women to manage LBPP in pregnancy. The most frequently used was paracetamol,followed by codeine/co-codomal and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID). In total, 46% of women receivedtreatment other than painkillers for LBPP in pregnancy. Qualitative data has revealed a disturbing picture of women’s painand its impact on the quality of daily life.Implications. Recommendations include the development of evidence-informed guidelines for practitioners and raisingawareness of medication safety with mothers.

Research paper thumbnail of Interventions to reduce Domestic Abuse in Pregnancy:a Qualitative Systematic Review

Research paper thumbnail of How do we prevent post traumatic stress (PTSD) in the aftermath of birth trauma

Research paper thumbnail of Birth technology: electronic fetal monitoring

Research paper thumbnail of Reflections on the methodological challenges of undertaking a meta-synthesis: A response to Heyman

Social Science & Medicine, Dec 1, 2009

Research paper thumbnail of Reflexology: A randomised controlled trial investigating the effects on beta-endorphin, cortisol and pregnancy related stress

Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, May 1, 2018

Research paper thumbnail of Positioning and attachment interventions for nipple pain: a systematic review

Evidence Based Midwifery, Sep 30, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Pregnant women’s perceptions and decision-making about antenatal screening for Down’s syndrome: a meta-synthesis

Research paper thumbnail of The First Global Conference of the Doctoral Midwifery Research Society

Research paper thumbnail of Eliciting women’s preferences for maternity care using choiceexperiments: a methodological review

... Reid, Bernie, Sinclair, Marlene, Barr, Owen, Dobbs, Frank and Crealey, Grainne (2008) Eliciti... more ... Reid, Bernie, Sinclair, Marlene, Barr, Owen, Dobbs, Frank and Crealey, Grainne (2008) Eliciting women's preferences for maternity care using choiceexperiments: a methodological review. Evidene Based Midwifery, 6 (4). pp. 119-125. Full text not available from this repository. ...

Research paper thumbnail of Experiences of using the Honest Broker Service for analysis of a maternity dataset and a prescribing dataset to determine the profile of women in Northern Ireland who have accessed maternity services and who have heart conditions

Royal College of Nursing Research Conference: RCN International Nursing Research Conference 2017, Apr 5, 2017

Research paper thumbnail of Final Report Summary - OPTIBIRTH (Improving the organisation of maternal health service delivery, and optimising childbirth, by increasing vaginal birth after caesarean section (VBAC) through enhanced women-centred care)

Research paper thumbnail of A literature review on the availability and content of educational programmes about heart disease in pregnancy for health care professionals, using Arksey and O'Malley's Methodological Framework for Conducting a Scoping Study

5th European Midwives' Association Education Conference : Midwifery Education for the 21st Century - innovations in education, practice and regulation, Dec 2, 2016

Research paper thumbnail of Women’s preferences for antenatal screening for Downsyndrome in Northern Ireland: a choice experiment

Background. Despite an increasing international trend towards the implementation of antenatal scr... more Background. Despite an increasing international trend towards the implementation of antenatal screening programmesfor Down syndrome, there is currently limited information relating to women’s choices or preferences for such screening.Information about women’s preferences for and insight into the potential value they may derive from any change to screeningprogramme design are essential components of evidence-based policy decision-making. This paper reports on a choiceexperiment undertaken to examine the preferences of a sample of pregnant and non-pregnant women of childbearing agewith respect to antenatal screening for Down syndrome in Northern Ireland, where the offer of screening is not universal andselective abortion on the grounds of fetal abnormality is legally inaccessible.Method. The choice experiment was conducted using an internet-based survey to obtain the preferences of a volunteer sampleof 50 pregnant and 73 non-pregnant women for screening tests that varied according to ...

Research paper thumbnail of Exploring the potential of the internet to motivate breastfeeding

Research paper thumbnail of Mode of birth and postnatal health‐related quality of life after one previous cesarean in three European countries

Birth, 2017

BackgroundHow a woman gives birth can affect her health‐related quality of life (HRQoL). This stu... more BackgroundHow a woman gives birth can affect her health‐related quality of life (HRQoL). This study explored HRQoL at 3 months postpartum in women with a history of one previous cesarean in three European countries.MethodsA prospective longitudinal survey, embedded within a cluster randomized trial in three countries, exploring women's postnatal HRQoL up to 3 months postpartum. The Short‐Form Six‐Dimensions (SF‐6D) was used to measure HRQoL, and multivariate analyses were used to examine the relationship with mode of birth.ResultsComplete data were available from 880 women. Women with a spontaneous vaginal birth had the highest HRQoL scores, whereas women with an emergency repeat cesarean (P = .01) had the lowest. Postnatal readmission of the mother (P = .03), having public health insurance (P = .04), and a low antenatal HRQoL score (P < .01) contributes to poorer HRQoL scores. More specifically, women with a spontaneous vaginal birth had significantly higher HRQoL scores on ...

Research paper thumbnail of Understanding pregnancy loss in Taiwan

Introduction: The experience of pregnancy following a previous pregnancy loss can be diffi cult a... more Introduction: The experience of pregnancy following a previous pregnancy loss can be diffi cult and psychologicallychallenging. Over 34,000 women experience pregnancy loss in Taiwan every year. Objectives: Thispaper reports an action research project that mapped the journey of ...

Research paper thumbnail of A Concept Analysis of Bullying In Midwifery

Research paper thumbnail of A scoping review protocol: Mapping the range of policy‐related evidence influencing maternal health outcomes in a fragile, low‐income country

Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2021

Research paper thumbnail of Co-creating a bespoke antenatal sonic environment, using mobile technology, to impact positively on the relationship that parents have with their unborn baby

Technology-enabled care (TEC) is now an integral element of the solutions to many of the challeng... more Technology-enabled care (TEC) is now an integral element of the solutions to many of the challenges facing the health and social care sectors [1]. Incorporation of multimedia and immersive technologies can enhance provision of care [2]. This paper outlines the development of an audio-visual mobile app which facilitates the co-creation by prospective parents of a bespoke sonic environment, relevant to them and to the unborn child. It is proposed that the interactive process by which the parents virtually construct a palette of sound objects, comprising familiar voices, elemental sounds and short musical extracts, then co-design an original soundscape, can enhance engagement of the parents, particularly the often under-represented fathers [3], in the antenatal process.

Research paper thumbnail of How do women manage pregnancy-related low back and/or pelvic pain? Descriptive findings from an online survey

Evidence Based Midwifery, Sep 1, 2014

Background. Low back pain is typically experienced by over 60% of pregnant women and pelvic pain ... more Background. Low back pain is typically experienced by over 60% of pregnant women and pelvic pain by almost 20%(Pennick and Liddle, 2013). The treatment offered for this condition is mostly physiotherapy, but this is not always effective,or evaluated positively by women. Midwives accept that low back pain and/or pelvic pain (LBPP) is common during pregnancyand treatment is conservative and often includes paracetamol, alongside a variety of physiotherapeutic interventions. However,there is growing concern over the use of medications by pregnant women with LBPP. Therefore, an online survey wasundertaken to explore women’s experiences of LBPP, treatments used and their perceived satisfaction and effectiveness.Aim. To determine the treatments women use to manage LBPP in pregnancy, how helpful they find them and how satisfiedthey are with them.Method. An online UK survey was designed to investigate the incidence of LBPP among women who have recently given birthwithin the UK. The survey was developed and distributed using Qualtrics online software and contained 92 items piloted with10 women who had given birth within the previous two years. The Doctoral Midwifery Research Society website hosted thesurvey and the popular mother and baby websites Netmums and Bounty advertised the study. Ethical and research governanceapproval was granted by the University of Ulster. The survey collected data on demographics, birth outcomes, body massindex (BMI), pain, treatments for LBPP in pregnancy, and physical activity levels. Women were eligible to complete the surveyif they had given birth in the last two years, could understood and read English and were willing to take part.Findings. A total of 331 women accessed the survey, 191 were eligible to take part and 176 completed the survey. The meanage was 30.46 (SD 7.60) and 95% of women were white. The sample response was heavily weighted towards England (75%),with smaller proportions of respondents from Scotland (11%), Northern Ireland (8%) and Wales (6%). The average BMI ofsurvey respondents before their most recent pregnancy was 26.Most women reported being active on two days each week and walking was the most popular activity (81%). Mean lowback pain intensity was 6.43 on a 0 to 10 sliding scale, mean frequency of low back pain was 7.16, mean pelvic pain was 7.62,and mean pelvic pain frequency was 8. Most women had a vaginal birth (66%) and delivered at 36 to 42 weeks’ gestation(78%). A large number of women (110/157) had suffered LBPP before their pregnancy, with many using over-the-counterpainkillers. Painkillers were used by 96 women to manage LBPP in pregnancy. The most frequently used was paracetamol,followed by codeine/co-codomal and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID). In total, 46% of women receivedtreatment other than painkillers for LBPP in pregnancy. Qualitative data has revealed a disturbing picture of women’s painand its impact on the quality of daily life.Implications. Recommendations include the development of evidence-informed guidelines for practitioners and raisingawareness of medication safety with mothers.

Research paper thumbnail of Interventions to reduce Domestic Abuse in Pregnancy:a Qualitative Systematic Review

Research paper thumbnail of How do we prevent post traumatic stress (PTSD) in the aftermath of birth trauma

Research paper thumbnail of Birth technology: electronic fetal monitoring

Research paper thumbnail of Reflections on the methodological challenges of undertaking a meta-synthesis: A response to Heyman

Social Science & Medicine, Dec 1, 2009

Research paper thumbnail of Reflexology: A randomised controlled trial investigating the effects on beta-endorphin, cortisol and pregnancy related stress

Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, May 1, 2018

Research paper thumbnail of Positioning and attachment interventions for nipple pain: a systematic review

Evidence Based Midwifery, Sep 30, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Pregnant women’s perceptions and decision-making about antenatal screening for Down’s syndrome: a meta-synthesis

Research paper thumbnail of The First Global Conference of the Doctoral Midwifery Research Society

Research paper thumbnail of Eliciting women’s preferences for maternity care using choiceexperiments: a methodological review

... Reid, Bernie, Sinclair, Marlene, Barr, Owen, Dobbs, Frank and Crealey, Grainne (2008) Eliciti... more ... Reid, Bernie, Sinclair, Marlene, Barr, Owen, Dobbs, Frank and Crealey, Grainne (2008) Eliciting women's preferences for maternity care using choiceexperiments: a methodological review. Evidene Based Midwifery, 6 (4). pp. 119-125. Full text not available from this repository. ...

Research paper thumbnail of Experiences of using the Honest Broker Service for analysis of a maternity dataset and a prescribing dataset to determine the profile of women in Northern Ireland who have accessed maternity services and who have heart conditions

Royal College of Nursing Research Conference: RCN International Nursing Research Conference 2017, Apr 5, 2017

Research paper thumbnail of Final Report Summary - OPTIBIRTH (Improving the organisation of maternal health service delivery, and optimising childbirth, by increasing vaginal birth after caesarean section (VBAC) through enhanced women-centred care)

Research paper thumbnail of A literature review on the availability and content of educational programmes about heart disease in pregnancy for health care professionals, using Arksey and O'Malley's Methodological Framework for Conducting a Scoping Study

5th European Midwives' Association Education Conference : Midwifery Education for the 21st Century - innovations in education, practice and regulation, Dec 2, 2016

Research paper thumbnail of Women’s preferences for antenatal screening for Downsyndrome in Northern Ireland: a choice experiment

Background. Despite an increasing international trend towards the implementation of antenatal scr... more Background. Despite an increasing international trend towards the implementation of antenatal screening programmesfor Down syndrome, there is currently limited information relating to women’s choices or preferences for such screening.Information about women’s preferences for and insight into the potential value they may derive from any change to screeningprogramme design are essential components of evidence-based policy decision-making. This paper reports on a choiceexperiment undertaken to examine the preferences of a sample of pregnant and non-pregnant women of childbearing agewith respect to antenatal screening for Down syndrome in Northern Ireland, where the offer of screening is not universal andselective abortion on the grounds of fetal abnormality is legally inaccessible.Method. The choice experiment was conducted using an internet-based survey to obtain the preferences of a volunteer sampleof 50 pregnant and 73 non-pregnant women for screening tests that varied according to ...

Research paper thumbnail of Exploring the potential of the internet to motivate breastfeeding

Research paper thumbnail of Mode of birth and postnatal health‐related quality of life after one previous cesarean in three European countries

Birth, 2017

BackgroundHow a woman gives birth can affect her health‐related quality of life (HRQoL). This stu... more BackgroundHow a woman gives birth can affect her health‐related quality of life (HRQoL). This study explored HRQoL at 3 months postpartum in women with a history of one previous cesarean in three European countries.MethodsA prospective longitudinal survey, embedded within a cluster randomized trial in three countries, exploring women's postnatal HRQoL up to 3 months postpartum. The Short‐Form Six‐Dimensions (SF‐6D) was used to measure HRQoL, and multivariate analyses were used to examine the relationship with mode of birth.ResultsComplete data were available from 880 women. Women with a spontaneous vaginal birth had the highest HRQoL scores, whereas women with an emergency repeat cesarean (P = .01) had the lowest. Postnatal readmission of the mother (P = .03), having public health insurance (P = .04), and a low antenatal HRQoL score (P < .01) contributes to poorer HRQoL scores. More specifically, women with a spontaneous vaginal birth had significantly higher HRQoL scores on ...

Research paper thumbnail of Understanding pregnancy loss in Taiwan

Introduction: The experience of pregnancy following a previous pregnancy loss can be diffi cult a... more Introduction: The experience of pregnancy following a previous pregnancy loss can be diffi cult and psychologicallychallenging. Over 34,000 women experience pregnancy loss in Taiwan every year. Objectives: Thispaper reports an action research project that mapped the journey of ...

Research paper thumbnail of A Concept Analysis of Bullying In Midwifery

Research paper thumbnail of A scoping review protocol: Mapping the range of policy‐related evidence influencing maternal health outcomes in a fragile, low‐income country

Journal of Advanced Nursing, 2021