Abstract
Objective
This research aimed to identify the changes in quality of life (QOL) and related factors during each stage of normal pregnancy.
Method
Pregnant Japanese women (in the early gestational period) who started maternity care with health examinations at obstetrics-and-gynecology hospitals and clinics were invited to participate in the study. After the initial questionnaire, which included parity, the subjects were asked to answer the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form (SF-36) in the first trimester (at 12-15 weeks of gestation), in the second trimester (28-29 weeks of gestation), and in the third trimester (38-39 weeks of gestation). In addition to parity, sociodemographic variables were also collected, including occupational status, family composition, support, number of deliveries, whether the current pregnancy was planned, and whether perinatal life was affected.
A total of 159 pregnant women who did not experience any complications during pregnancy were analyzed. The questionnaire consisted of 36 items generating 8 subscales of health-related functioning. Each subscale of the QOL score at 12-15, 28-29, and 38-39 weeks during pregnancy was compared with repeated-measures ANOVA. Also, QOL scores were compared by sociodemographic variables.
Results
The subscale that reflects "Physical functioning" showed a significant decrease throughout the entire pregnancy. On the other hand, subscales that reflect "Role-physical", "Bodily pain", "Vitality", and "Social functioning" decreased in the third trimester (p<0.05).
Furthermore, various factors contributed to lower QOL in each trimester of pregnancy. The subscale that reflects "Vitality" was lower in employed participants in the first trimester than in the second or third trimester. Subscales that reflect "Physical functioning", "Role-physical", and "Social functioning" decreased in the third trimester in participants whose mothers did not help with housework and talk about pregnancy and childbirth. Subscales that reflect "Bodily pain", "Vitality", and "Social functioning" decreased in the first trimester or the third trimester in multiparous subjects and in those whose current pregnancy was planned.
In addition, with respect to the effect on perinatal life, subscales that reflect "Physical functioning", "Role-physical", "Bodily pain", "Vitality", "Role emotional", and "Mental health" decreased in the first, second or third trimester in participants with physical ailments or who were emotionally unstable and who worried about body changes such as a figure or the weight, or child health, during pregnancy.
Conclusion
The present results show that QOL decreases during pregnancy, mainly in terms of physical health, and various factors including number of deliveries, support, and whether perinatal life was affected contribute to lower QOL in each trimester. Therefore, these findings indicate the importance of taking into account the various contributing factors and providing support to improve the various facets of QOL in pregnant women throughout pregnancy.
