Abstract
Objectives. This study aimed to determine the quality of life of pregnant adolescents aged < 20 years and pregnant adults aged between 20–29 years, to evaluate the effects of gestational periods on the quality of life, and to compare the quality of life scores of pregnant adolescents and adults.Methods. This study was performed in Turkey in 2007. Totally, 147 pregnant adolescents aged < 20 years and 156 pregnant adults aged between 20 and 29 years were included. A questionnaire on socio-demographic and obstetric characteristics was administered by face-to-face interviewing method, and Short Form-36 scale was applied.Results. The mean quality of life scores ranged between 44.2 and 56.1 points for the adolescents and between 44.6 and 59.9 points for the adults. All quality of life scores, except bodily pain, were lower for adolescents than for adults. It was determined that the quality of life scores in pregnancy were generally lower in the first trimester, significantly increased in the second trimester, and decreased to the lowest level in the third trimester.Conclusions. Quality of life scores of the pregnant adolescents were significantly lower than the pregnant adults. Physical care, support, and education programs may be beneficial to increase the quality of life levels in pregnancy.
Highlights
The quality of life of women may be negatively affected by a number of changes experienced during the pregnancy period
It was determined that the quality of life scores in pregnancy were generally lower in the first trimester, significantly increased in the second trimester, and decreased to the lowest level in the third trimester
Quality of life scores of the pregnant adolescents were significantly lower than the pregnant adults
Summary
The quality of life of women may be negatively affected by a number of changes experienced during the pregnancy period. Pregnancy-related physical symptoms include fatigue, nausea, vomiting, heartburn, leg cramps, hemorrhoids, and shortness of breath [1], many of which have potentially negative effects on women’s lives during pregnancy. For this reason, the quality of life of pregnant women is expected to be lower than that of non-pregnant women of the same age. The quality of life of pregnant adolescents is expected to be lower than that of pregnant adults. In many parts of the world, programs are directed in order to prevent adolescent pregnancy, which is an important risk factor for mortality and morbidity [8]
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