Abstract Background: Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are prevalent among pregnant women. Several articles show the impact of LUTS on pregnant women’s quality of life (QoL). This study was designed to examine the impact of nonpathological LUTS on QoL among pregnant Palestinian women. Methods: A cross-sectional, hospital-based study was conducted on women who were pregnant and receiving regular antenatal care at the obstetrics and gynecology clinic in Rafdia Hospital, Palestine. This self-administered questionnaire included the Urinary Distress Inventory – short-form (UDI-6), the Incontinence Impact Questionnaire – short-form (IIQ-7), the European Quality of Life scale – 5 dimensions (EQ-5D), and the European Quality of Life – visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS). A convenience sampling method was used. In addition to this, multiple linear regression analyses were performed aiming to identify variables that have a signifcant relationship with QoL (i.e. socio-demographic variables, UDI-6 score, and IIQ-7 score). Results: This study included a total of 306 pregnant women. Participants had a mean age of 26.9 years (SD, 3.6). The subjects scored an average of 31.2±19.2 out of 100 points for the UDI-6 scale and an average of 31.9±24.9 out of 100 points for the IIQ-7 scale. On the other hand, the subjects’ average EQ-5D and EQ-VAS scores were 0.76±0.17 and 67.96±19.28 respectively. The subjects’ responses on UDI-6 signifcantly correlated with their responses on both the EQ-5D and EQ-VAS scales (r=−0.338, p<0.001 and r=−0.206, p<0.001, respectively). Likewise, their responses on IIQ-7 also signifcantly correlated with their responses on both the EQ-5D and EQ-VAS scales (r=−0.389, p<0.001 and r=−0.329, p<0.001, respectively). Regression analysis found that the UDI-6 score (p=0.001) and IIQ-7 score (p<0.001), were signifcantly and negatively associated with EQ-5D index scores. Conclusions: Our study shows a remarkable correlation between LUTS and QoL among pregnant women. Further longitudinal studies are required to assess the status of LUTS in the pre-pregnancy stage to ascertain a more accurate assessment of LUTS or LUTS related intervention and its impact on QoL during pregnancy.

Conference Title

Palestinian International Medical Conference Conference

Conference Country

Palestine

Conference Date

Oct. 24, 2021 - Oct. 25, 2021

Conference Sponsor

NNUH

Additional Info

Conference Website