Objective: The aim was to determine whether pregnant women conceiving through in vitro fertilization (IVF) differ from those conceiving spontaneously in terms of psychological well-being and the quality of life.
Methods: In a prospective study we included 75 women conceived after IVF and 78 who conceived spontaneously in the same time period (control group). All the women were sent a self-report questionnaire about demographic and reproductive history, health, pregnancy concerns, containing Subjective Quality of Life Scale (QLS), Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), the Psychological Well-Being Scale (PWB), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Zung Self-Assessment Anxiety Scale (SAS); obstetric and newborn's data were obtained from medical records. Response rate was 66.6% in the IVF and 83.3% in control group.
Results: The mean women's age was 33.8 years in the IVF, and 32.5 years in the control group (NS). There were no significant differences between groups on the most of the outcome measures assessing psychological status. IVF mothers were just less satisfied in "friend/acquaintances" (P=0.03), a higher percentage had sexual problems prior to conception (P=0.03); the length of hospitalization during pregnancy was longer (P=0.02), and the preterm delivery rate was higher (P=0.01). Withingroup changes over gestation time indicated that IVF women, not controls, showed an increase in positive affect (P=0.04) and purpose in life (P=0.05).
Conclusions: IVF women are inclined to social isolation. Despite more medical problems during pregnancy, they reported improved positive emotions and purpose in life as the pregnancy progressed.
Namen: Namen študije je bil ugotoviti, ali se počutje in stopnja kvalitete življenja žensk, ki zanosijo s pomočjo postopkov oploditve z biomedicinsko pomočjo (in vitro fertilization - IVF), razlikuje od počutja in stopnje kvalitete življenja žensk, ki zanosijo spontano.
Metode: V prospektivno študijo smo vključili 153 nosečnic; 75 žensk je zanosilo po IVF-metodi (IVF-skupina), 78 pa spontano v istem časovnem obdobju (kontrolna skupina). Odzvalo seje 66,6% žensk v IVF-skupini in 83,3% žensk v kontrolni skupini. Vsem je bil poslan anamnestični vprašalnik o biografskih in reproduktivnih podatkih, zdravstveni zgodovini in doživljanju nosečnosti, ki je vseboval tudi lestvico subjektivne kvalitete življenja (QLS), lestvico pozitivnih in negativnih čustev (PANAS), lestvico dobrega počutja (PWB), Beckov vprašalnik depresije (BDI) in Zinged vprašalnik anksioznosti (SAS). Podatke o porodu in novorojencu smo dobili iz porodnega zapisnika.
Rezultati: Povprečna starost žensk v IVF-skupini je bila 33,8 leta in v kontrolni skupini 32,5 leta. Skupini se po psihičnem statusu žensk nista razlikovali v večini merjenih spremenljivk. Ženske v IVF-skupini so izražale le manjše zadovoljstvo s svojim socialnim življenjem (P=0,03), imele so več težav v spolnosti pred zanositvijo (P=0,03), odstotek hospitalizacij pri njih je bil višji (P=0,02) in tudi delež prezgodnjih porodov je bil višji (P=0,01). Testiranje sprememb znotraj skupin je pokazalo naraščanje pozitivnih čustev (P=0,04) in občutenja smisla življenja (P=0,05) z napredovanjem nosečnosti v IVF-skupini.
Zaključek: Ženske v IVF-skupini težijo k socialni izolaciji. Kljub večjemu številu zdravstvenih težav pa se z napredovanjem nosečnosti krepijo njihova pozitivna čustva in občutenje smisla življenja.
Keywords: in vitro fertilization; pregnancy; psychological well-being; quality of life.