Background Pregnancy involves profound physical and psychological changes that may increase the risk of lumbopelvic pain and affect body image. Body surveillance and functionality appreciation are key constructs in this context, yet little is known about interventions targeting them in pregnant women experiencing pregnancy-related pain. Objective This study examined whether standard prenatal education alone or combined with pain neuroscience education could improve functionality appreciation and reduce body surveillance in women with pregnancy-related lumbopelvic pain. Methods A total of 211 third-trimester pregnant women with pregnancy-related lumbopelvic pain were randomly assigned to standard prenatal education or a combined program with pain neuroscience education. Both programs included twelve online lessons delivered over four weeks. Functionality appreciation and body surveillance were measured at baseline and post-intervention using validated questionnaires. Linear mixed models were used for analysis under an intention-to-treat approach. Results Functionality appreciation improved significantly over time in both groups (p = .018), but no between-group differences were observed (Cohen’s d = 0.056). Body surveillance scores remained unchanged in both groups (Cohen’s d = 0.00). Adherence was higher in the SPE group (88%) compared to SPE+PNE (77.5%, p = .011). Conclusions Brief online educational programs, especially standard prenatal education, can enhance functionality appreciation during pregnancy, shifting focus from appearance to bodily capacities.
García-Lucas et al. (Mon,) studied this question.