Abstract
BackgroundContemporary broad descriptions of health and well-being are reflected in an increasing appreciation of quality of life issues; in turn this has led to a growing number of tools to measure this.MethodsThis paper reviews articles cited in MEDLINE, CINAHL and BIDS which have addressed the concept of quality of life in pregnancy and the period following childbirth.ResultsIt describes five groups of articles: those explicitly assessing quality of life in this area; those using broader health assessments as an indicator of quality of life; those articles equating quality of life with certain pregnancy outcomes in identified groups of patients; those studies which identify the possibility of pregnancy as an outcome measure and infer from this that quality of life has been improved; and those articles which are themselves reviews or commentaries of pregnancy and childbirth and which identify quality of life as a feature.ConclusionsThe term 'quality of life' is used inconsistently in the literature. There are few quality of life tools specifically designed for the maternity care setting. Improved or adversely affected quality of life is frequently inferred from certain clinical conditions.
Highlights
Contemporary broad descriptions of health and well-being are reflected in an increasing appreciation of quality of life issues; in turn this has led to a growing number of tools to measure this
They note that highdose chemotherapy and radiation treatment are associated with gonadal dysfunction, and that questions of fertility are important because these patients "are often young people who wish to resume a normal quality of life, Trachter et al [42] present a general description of concerns of women with inflammatory bowel disease and how this impacts on their quality of life, with particular reference to partner relationships and sexual health
They include case studies as a way of revealing some of these concerns, and, in order to improve the quality of life and well-being of these women, they call for additional research to evaluate their relationship difficulties, sexual comfort, and sexual behaviours
Summary
It describes five groups of articles: those explicitly assessing quality of life in this area; those using broader health assessments as an indicator of quality of life; those articles equating quality of life with certain pregnancy outcomes in identified groups of patients; those studies which identify the possibility of pregnancy as an outcome measure and infer from this that quality of life has been improved; and those articles which are themselves reviews or commentaries of pregnancy and childbirth and which identify quality of life as a feature
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