Determining THE quality of life and educational needs of pregnant

Many pregnancy-related anatomical and physiological changes result in minor disturbances which affect women?s quality of life during pregnancy. The aims of the study were to assess the physiologic and psychological symptoms of pregnant women and their quality of life, and to determine the educational needs of women during pregnancy. The study adopted a descriptive-cross sectional design. This study was conducted at a gynaecology clinic of a private hospital affiliated to a Foundation University in Istanbul. Study sample comprised of a total of 128 pregnant women. Forty women were at their first trimester, 40 women were at their second trimester, and 48 women were at their third trimester of pregnancy. The data were gathered using Pregnancy Information Form and World Health Organization Quality of life Questionnaire (WHOQOL-Brief TR). The study project was approved by the university and administration. The statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software (version 16). The mean age of the patients was 30.02 ± 5.15. Eighteen percent of pregnant women had a history of chronic diseases, 28.9% used medication during pregnancy. Study found that women?s quality of life was at moderate level. The common symptoms experienced by pregnant women during 1st semester of pregnancy were nausea (75%), vomiting (57.5%), frequent urination during pregnancy (77.5%), groin pain during pregnancy (67.5%), irritability (77.5%), sleep disturbances during pregnancy (70%), respectively. Pregnant women who had a history of chronic disease had lower quality of life scores (p < 0.05). Pregnant women who had to use medication during their pregnancy had lower quality of life scores than those who did not have to use any medication during their pregnancy (p < 0.05). Study results suggest that the quality of life of pregnant women was affected negatively, and maternal health care services and education will contribute positively to the quality of a woman's life during pregnancy.Keywords: Pregnancy, quality of life, education.