PURPOSE:
To explore pregnant women’s knowledge, perceived benefits, concerns, and willingness to use acupressure for labour pain relief and facilitation at Prince of Wales Hospital, informing its potential integration into maternity care.

DISCUSSION:
A cross-sectional survey (N=89) was conducted at PWH’s antenatal ward and clinic (April 2024–May 2025) to assess pregnant women’s (≥18 years, gestation ≥23 weeks) perspectives on acupressure. Participants were recruited during routine prenatal visits, with a convenience sample obtained via a QR code linking to an electronic questionnaire (Google Forms). The questionnaire comprised Likert-scale items assessing knowledge, perceived benefits, safety concerns, and willingness to use acupressure, alongside multiple-choice questions allowing multiple selections to capture diverse views. Results revealed 62.92% (56/89) had low knowledge (score ≤2). Perceived benefits included pain relief (67.42%, 60/89 rated ≥3) and labour facilitation (67.42% for induction, 70.79% for duration). Concerns included fetal risks (47.19%, 42/89), adverse reactions (40.45%, 36/89), and safety (33.71%, 30/89). Most (80.90%, 72/89) were willing to try acupressure, with 89.89% (80/89) preferring delivery by trained midwives.

EVIDENCE WHERE RELEVANT:
Systematic reviews demonstrate acupressure’s efficacy in reducing labour pain intensity and duration (Smith et al., 2017; Chen et al., 2021). Levett et al. (2016) found that integrative approaches, including acupressure, improve pain management and may shorten labour, with minimal adverse effects. Mollart et al. (2015) highlight limited patient awareness, consistent with our findings, emphasizing the need for education. Local data scarcity necessitated this survey to guide evidence-based integration of non-pharmacological methods in Hong Kong’s maternity care, aligning with global trends toward holistic labour support.

KEY MESSAGE:
Pregnant women support acupressure for labour but lack knowledge and have safety concerns. Education and midwife training can facilitate its adoption in maternity care. Poster session 2 (Group A)