Transformation of quality of life in prenatal women with nausea and vomiting

Abstract

Problem: Nausea and vomiting not only cause physical discomfort in pregnant women but also impact their quality of life.

Background: Few longitudinal studies have been conducted to investigate QOL of women over the course of pregnancy.

Aim: To examine the transformation of health-related QOL and related factors among pregnant women with NV during three trimesters.

Methods: A longitudinal research design with convenience sampling was used. A structural questionnaire was used to repeatedly measure the data of 101 pregnant women with NV during the first, second, and third trimesters. A generalized estimating equation (GEE) was used to analyze the collecting data.

Findings: The results showed significant differences in symptom distress, prenatal stress, and health-related QOL among the three trimesters in pregnant women with NV (p<0.001). The scores of symptom distress, prenatal stress, and health-related QOL in the first trimester were significantly higher than those in the second and third trimesters (p<0.001). The GEE indicated that the trimester of pregnancy, severity of NV, symptom distress, and prenatal stress were key factors for the transformation of health-related QOL of women with NV during pregnancy.

Discussion: The findings of this study are seminal in terms of understanding the relationships between symptom distress, prenatal stress and health-related QOL in pregnant women with NV over the course of a pregnancy.

Conclusion: This study can serve as a reference for designing interventions (i.e., professional support) for women in different pregnancy stages to improve their health-related QOL during pregnancy.

Keywords: Nausea and vomiting; Pregnancy; Quality of life; Stress; Symptom.