Investigation of the effects of pregnancy symptoms on women's daily living activities and sleep quality

This study aimed to examine the effects of pregnancy-related symptoms on daily activities and sleep quality in pregnant women. Conducted in 2022 with 310 pregnant women at a private hospital's Non-stress test outpatient clinic in İzmir, this descriptive and cross-sectional study used a demographic questionnaire, the Pregnancy Symptom Inventory (PSI), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) for data collection. The mean PSI scores for symptoms and their impact on daily activities were 24.5±11.2 and 50.9±6.2, respectively. Higher mean scores of PSI Sections 1 and 2 were observed in pregnant women with primary education compared to those with a university degree. The median PSI Section 2 score was significantly higher in obese women than in overweight women, and the median scores of both PSI sections were significantly higher in those who slept 9 hours or more per day compared to others. Obese women had significantly higher sleep disturbance scores than those with normal weight. The mean PSQI total score was 9.6±3.2. Additionally, the median subjective sleep quality score was higher among women whose spouses had primary or university-level education; habitual sleep efficiency was higher among university graduates; and daytime dysfunction scores were higher in women with a high school education. Poorer sleep quality was associated with caffeine consumption and a history of stillbirth. A weak negative impact of pregnancy symptoms on sleep quality was observed, with a significant positive correlation between habitual sleep efficiency and sleep disturbance.