Quality of Life and Associated Factors in Pregnant Women during the Third Trimester

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore quality of life and associated factors in pregnant women during the third trimester.

Methods: A cross-sectional and correlational research design was conducted using the Demographic Inventory, the Discomfort Symptom Questionnaire of the Third Trimester, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment (WHOQOL)-Brief Taiwan version. A convenience sample of 207 pregnant women aged 20 years old or above were recruited from a medical center in southern Taiwan after consent forms were obtained. Data were analyzed using SPSS 19.0 software, including descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and multiple regression.

Results: Results found (1) pregnant women an average QOL index score of 70.58 (moderate and above); (2) significant differences in QOL scores for the variables of occupation (yes/no), education level, religion, monthly personal and family income; (3) discomfort symptoms of the third trimester and prenatal stress were significantly associated with QOL; (4) 49.9% of QOL variance was explained by discomfort symptoms of the third trimester, monthly personal income, prenatal stress and planned pregnancy.

Conclusion: The results of this study may help healthcare professionals to understand relationships among symptoms of the third trimester, prenatal stress and QOL in pregnant women during the third trimester. It could also be an evidence-based data for assessment and caring of those pregnant women.