Author Identifier (ORCID)
Abstract
Objective: To describe attitudes towards acupuncture and expectations regarding potential treatment outcomes among women with self-reported primary dysmenorrhoea (PD) residing in Australia. Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive online survey was conducted to assess attitudes and treatment expectancy using an adapted version of previously published complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) attitude scale and a validated acupuncture expectancy scale (AES). Data were analysed descriptively, with exploratory analysis conducted to support the interpretation of response patterns. Ethical approval was obtained from the Edith Cowan University Human Research Ethics Committee (2023-04471-LIU) and participants provided electronic informed consent. Results: A total of 247 responses were received. Participants were mainly aged 25–30 years and largely from Western Australia. Many reported having experienced PD for more than 6 months and a range of related symptoms. Item-level analysis suggested generally favourable attitudes towards acupuncture, with 81% expressing interest in acupuncture. Treatment expectancy was moderate overall. Sensitivity and exploratory stratified analyses showed broadly comparable descriptive patterns across demographic and clinical subgroups. Conclusion: Women with self-reported PD showed generally favourable attitudes towards acupuncture and moderate expectancy. Of note, this was found to be a self-selected sample with higher educational attainment that was predominantly interested in acupuncture. Findings reflect perceived acceptability rather than clinical effectiveness or population-level perspectives and should not be generalised. As attitudes were assessed using an adapted, non-validated instrument, results should be interpreted cautiously as indicative of response tendencies. Future research is needed among women not interested in acupuncture and those with a lower educational level to further explore the contextual and experiential factors that potentially shape how acupuncture is perceived and utilised.
Keywords
acupuncture, attitude, dysmenorrhoea, expectancy, painful periods, survey
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
1-1-2026
ISSN
09645284
Publication Title
Acupuncture in Medicine
Publisher
Sage
School
School of Nursing and Midwifery / School of Science
RAS ID
99687
Funding Information
This work was supported by the project on Edith Cowan University Higher Degree by Research (S0059).
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Liu, W., Towell-Barnard, A., Lee, K. H., & Kang, T. L. (2026). Attitudes and expectations towards acupuncture for primary dysmenorrhoea: Findings from a cross-sectional survey in Australia. Acupuncture in Medicine. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/09645284261458839