The Effects of Spousal Relationships on Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy
Objective: Fifty to 80% of pregnant women can be expected to experience nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. Yet, a cause of this phenomenon is relatively unknown. The notion that psychosocial relationships may be related to nausea and vomiting in pregnancy (NVP) has been relatively ignored in studies on NVP. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine the effects of spousal (mate) relationships on nausea and vomiting experiences of women in pregnancy.
Design: This is an ongoing descriptive-correlational study of 134 pregnant women at risk for experiencing nausea and vomiting in pregnancy.
Population Sample: The sample population is comprised of ethnically-diverse northern plains pregnant women targeted for study at 26-30 weeks gestation. Consenting 18 to 40 year-old pregnant women referred by primary health care providers are being systematically selected for entry into the study.
Variables Studied Together: This study will test the hypothesis that there will be significantly less nausea and vomiting in positive spousal relationships. Demographic, spousal relationship, and self-care agency variables will be analyzed for relationships to nausea and vomiting experiences through use of descriptive statistics and multiple regression analyses.
Methods: Orem’s Theory of Self-Care will guide the study. Instruments used for measurement include a Demographic questionnaire, Rhode’s Nausea and Vomiting Symptom Distress Adaption Scale (alpha = .88), the Canadian Spousal Relationship tool, and Kearney and Fleischer’s Exercise of Self-care Agency Instrument (alpha = .80).
Findings: Results of this study are in progress.
Implications for Study: Nurses need to be aware of prenatal factors, such as spousal relationships, that may affect nausea and vomiting in pregnancy.
This study was conducted as part of the NIH research grant # HD33991.
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