Profile and Predictors of Maternal Quality of Life During Physiological Pregnancy: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

The dyadic associations among self-efficacy, dyadic coping, and health-related quality of life between high-risk pregnant women and spouses: a cross-sectional study

AIM

Health-related quality of life(HRQoL) is essential for high-risk pregnant women and their spouses. This study aimed to explore the dyadic associations (including actor and partner effects) among self-efficacy, dyadic coping, and HRQoL of high-risk pregnant women and their spouses and examine the mediating effect of dyadic coping.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study recruited participants from two Grade A tertiary hospitals in China from October 2022 to September 2023. A questionnaire including the Chinese version of the General Self-Efficacy Scale, Dyadic Coping Inventory, and 12 Short Form Health Survey Scales was used for the survey. The actor-partner interdependence mediation model was constructed to test dyadic associations and mediating effects.

RESULTS

In the actor effects, self-efficacy was positively associated with dyadic coping and HRQoL (P < 0.05). Regarding partner effects, pregnant women's self-efficacy was positively associated with spouses' dyadic coping and physical health (P < 0.05). Dyadic coping partially mediated the relationship between self-efficacy and HRQoL for both groups(P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The HRQoL of high-risk pregnant women and their spouses requires urgent attention. Enhancing self-efficacy and dyadic coping in these couples is related to their improved physical and mental health. Healthcare professionals should consider interactions between couples and include them together in perinatal care. Intervention programs for couples or families based on existing positive psychology and dyadic interventions may work together to improve the HRQoL of couples.

Predictors Related to Quality of Life in Pregnant Women

Background

Assessment of quality of life (QoL) during pregnancy can be a starting point for streamlining and promoting the humanization of evidence-based healthcare. We aimed to determine the life quality in pregnant women and its predictors.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted on pregnant women from Slovakia from March 2020 to January 2021. A method of purposive sampling was used. The research sample consisted of 393 women (age 29.11±4.65) with physiological pregnancy. Questionnaire method was used. The first part of the questionnaire consisted of a set of questions focused on identification items, which also represented the investigated predictors. The second part was the standardized questionnaire "Quality Of Life-Gravidity Questionnaire"(QOLGRAV), with Cronbach's alpha value of 0.74. The received data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results

The average life quality score was 18.79±5.04, which oscillates at the level of very good life quality. The lower life quality was recorded in connection with physical changes, satisfaction with social life, concerns about childbirth management failure and a need for physical activity reduction. Education (P=0.008), course of pregnancy (P=0.001), support from healthcare professionals (P=0.003) and concerns about COVID-19 (P=0.001) were the predictors of life quality.

Conclusion

The proven significant predictors of life quality of pregnant women have shown that healthcare professionals should pay increased attention to the pregnant women with higher education and with problematic pregnancy, positively support and motivate pregnant women and be even more attentivedue to the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Health-related quality of life during three trimesters of pregnancy in Morocco: cross-sectional pilot study

BACKGROUND

Pregnancy is universally considered a normal physiological process. However, it has a considerable impact on the quality of mothers' lives. This study piloted the use of the generic EuroQoL-5 Dimensions-5 Levels (EQ-5D-5L) descriptive system and the EuroQol Visual Analogue Scale (EQ-VAS) questionnaire, to assess the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) during pregnancy and its associated factors.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional pilot study carried out from August to December 2019 we assessed the HRQoL and its associated factors among Moroccan pregnant women who received prenatal care at Settat's health centers. The collected data from 270 pregnant women were compared to a dataset of 289 non-pregnant women using the EQ-5D-5L instrument and socioeconomic and obstetrical questionnaires. A multiple linear regression model was used to identify associated factors. The HRQoL comparison was made using the improved RIDIT approach, which allows estimating the Absolute Risk Increase (ARI) of problems related to mobility, usual activities, and self-care and the ARI of pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression (i.e. an ARI = 10% in mobility means that pregnancy increases problems in this health dimension by 10%).

FINDINGS

A total of 559 women were included in our study. Our results showed that the HRQoL in pregnant women was significantly lower than in non-pregnant women (EQ-5D index score = 0.71 ± 0.24 vs 0.79 ± 0.29; p < 0.0001). Similarly, the pregnancy reduced the EQ-VAS score (mean difference = -7.8 ± 17.21; p < 0.0001). The pregnancy increased the problems in mobility (ARI = 9.7% [1.7-17.6], p = 0.02), in self-care (ARI = 8% [2-14], p = 0.01), and in usual activities (ARI = 27.3% [18.9-35.7], p < 0.0001). Also, the pregnancy increased pain/discomfort (ARI = 26.5% [18-35.1], p < 0.0001) and anxiety/depression (ARI = 12% [3.2-20.9], p = 0.0112). The rural pregnant women had the worst HRQoL (EQ-5D index score = 0.57) compared to their urban peers (EQ-5D index score = 0.77). Likewise, women in the third trimester and nulliparous had the worst HRQoL (EQ-5D index score = 0.64 and 0.84 respectively).

INTERPRETATION

The results highlighted that place of residence, parity, and gestational age are strongly associated with pregnant's HRQoL. The five EQ-5D-5L dimensions were affected during pregnancy. Consequently, there is a need to develop specific programs to monitor the HRQoL during pregnancy in order to ensure better maternal health care.

FUNDING

This study was funded by University Hassan First's own fund [grant number FP/01/2018].