Quality of life and predictive factors in patients undergoing assisted reproduction techniques.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the quality of life (QOL) of a cohort of women undergoing assisted reproduction techniques (ART), to compare two QOL questionnaires [Short Form 36 (SF36) and FertiQoL], and to identify the predictive factors related to QOL.


METHODS
Women who received infertility medication from a hospital pharmacist during a one-year period were included in this study. Two standardized validated questionnaires - FertiQoL and SF36 - were used. Multivariate analyses were used to assess predictive factors for QOL.


RESULTS
Sixty-one women participated in this study. Median QOL scores ranged from 58 to 100. Comparisons between the two questionnaires revealed lower QOL scores when using FertiQoL. Most correlations between the questionnaires were positive, and significant for the majority of SF36 mental dimensions. The major predictors of QOL were: accompanied to the pharmacist's visit by partner, nationality, ART (in vitro fertilization or artificial insemination), employment status (employed or unemployed), tobacco consumption, age, number of cycles, infertility factor and treatment results (pregnancy, no pregnancy or treatment cancellation).


CONCLUSIONS
FertiQoL examines dimensions such as partner and social relationships. As such, it is recommended that FertiQoL should be used together with a short version of SF36 to investigate QOL among patients undergoing ART.
Hospital Pharmacy Service, La Mancha-Centro Hospital, Ciudad Real, Spain. herediamiriam@hotmail.com
M
M
Heredia
J M
JM
Tenías
R
R
Rocio
F
F
Amparo
M A
MA
Calleja
J C
JC
Valenzuela
D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017281:Cost of Illness; D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D005260:Female; D005300:Fertility Agents, Female / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000009:adverse effects; D006779:Hospitals, Public; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000503:physiopathology; D007315:Insemination, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D010607:Pharmacy Service, Hospital; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D013030:Spain; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D005300:Fertility Agents, Female