The effect of endometriosis on anxiety and the Quality of Life in women.

This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with 420 women. The data were collected by using the "Descriptive Information Form", "SF-36 Quality of Life Scale (QoLS)" and "State Anxiety Inventory (SAI)". The data were evaluated with Mann-Whitney U-test, Student's t-test and Pearson correlation analysis. Endometriosis had been diagnosed in 12.1% of the women. The score medians obtained by the women with endometriosis from the pain and physical role difficulty sub-dimensions of the QoLS were found to be significantly lower than those obtained by women without endometriosis. The presence of endometriosis was found not to affect the state anxiety in the women. A weak or moderately significant negative relationship was found between the number and onset time of the symptoms and certain sub-dimensions of the QoLS in the women with endometriosis.

The effect of genital hygiene behaviors and vaginal douching of pregnant women on preterm labor.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of genital hygiene behavior (GHB) and vaginal douching (VD) of pregnant women on preterm labor (PTL). METHODS: This study, which was conducted with 365 pregnant women, is a cross-sectional study. Data were collected using a questionnaire and the Genital Hygiene Behavior Inventory (GHBI) was applied. RESULTS: The ratios of PTL diagnosis and VD practice, and mean GHBI scores of the pregnant women were 35.1%, 9.6%, and 64.42 ± 10.44, respectively. The prevalence of receiving a diagnosis of PTL was significantly higher in those who changed their underwear two to three times a week, took baths while sitting, cleansed their perineum with water using their hands, removed pubic hair at intervals of 2 months or longer, and performed VD. It was found that poor GHB and VD practices increased the rate of PTL and, in particular, VD was found to increase the risk of PTL around eight-fold. CONCLUSION: These results can help pregnant women to understand the relationship between genital hygiene and PTL and show the importance of being educated by health professionals about this issue.

Investigation of the effect of pregnant women's childbirth-related Internet use on fear of childbirth.

This research was carried out to examine the effect of childbirth-related Internet use by pregnant women on fear of childbirth (FOC). The descriptive study was conducted with 350 pregnant women who applied to the Outpatient Polyclinic of Gynaecology and Obstetrics. Of the pregnant women who used the Internet, 72.9% did so to research information about childbirth. The pregnant women used the Internet mostly to obtain information about coping with labour pain (43.4%), the delivery process (46.9%), the needs list at delivery (39.4%), about C-section/epidural analgesia for labour (26.8%), and about the environment of the delivery room (25.7%). It was determined that there was a statistically significant difference (p < .05) between the delivery-related video viewing status of the pregnant women, the mean score of the W-DEQ Version A (p < .05), and the FOC was lower in those who watched videos about delivery.IMPACT STATEMENTWhat is already known on this subject? Previous studies have shown that pregnant women frequently use the Internet as a source of information about childbirth.What do the results of this study add? The findings of this study reveal that watching videos and listening to or reading the narrations significantly affected the FOC.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice or further research? Nurses who provide preconception and antenatal care should consider Internet use as a risk factor for FOC and should guide pregnant women to reliable sources.

The relationship between personality characteristics and fear of childbirth: A descriptive study.

BACKGROUND: It is emphasized that fear of childbirth is closely related to women's personality characteristics, anxiety levels, low self-esteem, low socialization, neuroticism, low extraversion, vulnerability. OBJECTIVE: The study was conducted to determine the relationship between personality traits and fear of childbirth. METHODS: This was a descriptive study. The study was carried out at the obstetrics policlinic of the research and training hospital. A sample of 853 women at the third trimester of their pregnancies completed the questionnaire. Data were collected using Questionnaire Form, Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Scale A version, Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised/Abbreviated Form. RESULTS: The median neuroticism score was 2.00 among those on a mild level of fear of childbirth, while it was 4.00 among those on a clinical level of fear of childbirth (p < 0.001). The median extraversion score of the pregnant women was 4.00 among those whose fear of childbirth scores were on a mild level, while it was 2.00 among those whose fear of childbirth scores were on a clinical level (p < 0.001). There was a positive correlation between the scores of fear of childbirth and the neuroticism, and a negative correlation between fear of childbirth and extraversion personality trait (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: It was concluded that pregnant women who had neuroticism personality demonstrated a higher level of fear of childbirth whereas those who had extraversion personality demonstrated a lower level of fear of childbirth.

Correlation between postpartum depression and spousal support and factors affecting postpartum depression.

This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between postpartum depression (PPD) and women's perceived spousal support during the early postpartum period and the prevalence of PPD and affecting factors. Data were collected using a Personal Information Form, the Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS) and the Perceived Spousal Support among Women in Early Postpartum Period Scale (PSSAWEPP). The study was completed with 181 women. The prevalence of PPD was found as 28.2%. A significant negative correlation was found between the total EPDS score and total PSSAWEPP score and subscale scores of emotional support, social support and physical support (p < 0.01). It was also found that as spousal support perceived by women increased, PPD risk decreased. In our study, it was observed that spousal violence (aOR = 5.69, 95% CI: 1.65-19.55) and having an unintended pregnancy (aOR = 0.24, CI: 0.11-0.54) were two factors that significantly affected PPD.

The Effect of Aromatherapy on Sleep and Quality of Life in Menopausal Women with Sleeping Problems: A Non-Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

INTRODUCTION: Menopause is the termination of menstruation and fertility. Women commonly experience sleeping problems during the menopausal period. Aromatherapy is among the complementary therapies used to remedy sleeping problems. METHODS: This study aims to investigate the effects of lavender oil on sleep and quality of life of menopausal women through steam inhalation. This study was quasi-experimental with pre-test/post-test placebo control groups. It was conducted with 57 women, 27 of whom were subject to aromatherapy and 30 to a placebo. Data were collected using the Questionnaire Form, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (MENQOL). RESULTS: For the intervention group, the PSQI median scores after the administration of aromatherapy were found to be significantly lower than those before the administration (p < 0.001) and those of the placebo group (p < 0.001). Similarly, for the intervention group, the total median MENQOL scores after the administration of the aromatherapy were found to be significantly lower than the scores prior to the administration (p < 0.001) as well as the scores of the placebo group (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: It was found that aromatherapy involving lavender-scented steam inhalation increased sleep quality and quality of life in women with sleep deprivation problems during menopause.

Striae gravidarum in primigravid women: prevalence, risk factors, prevention interventions and body image.

Objectives: The study was conducted to identify the striae gravidarum (SG) prevalence in primigravid women, the influencing risk factors and the preventive interventions, and also to investigate its effect on body perception.Methods: This cross-sectional and descriptive study was conducted on 421 primigravid women who presented to a training and research hospital to have a nonstress test during routine follow-up. The data of the study were collected with the "Data Collection Form", "Fitzpatrick Skin Type Scale", "Davey's Severity Score of Striae Gravidarum" and "Body Image Scale (BIS)".Results: SG was found to be present in 67% of primigravid women. According to the results of the logistic regression analysis conducted, the presence of social security, sleep duration, BMI in pregnancy, and a history of striae in the mother and/or sister were found to be associated with SG presence (p < 0.05). A very weak positive relationship was found between SG severity in primigravidas and the score obtained from BIS (p < 0.05). The body perception of the pregnant women worsened in the presence of SG and a very weak negative relationship was found between the number of interventions used for prevention and the BIS score (p < 0.05).Conclusion: SG is seen in 7 of 10 women and affects body perception negatively. We recommend providing training and consultancy services both before and during pregnancy on the interventions and lifestyle changes required and topical preparations that can be used to prevent or decrease the severity of SG while taking the risk factors causing the problem into account.

Retrospective analysis of episiotomy prevalence.

OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to determine the rate of episiotomy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This retrospective was conducted in 3 state hospitals located in 3 cities in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. Ethics committee approval was received for this study. Also, institutional permissions from the institutions where the study was conducted were obtained before the study. The sample of the study consisted of 8587 women. The data of the study were collected by analyzing birth records in archive records. RESULTS: The average age of the women was 26.16±5.9 years, the average number of deliveries was 2.19±1.2, and 52.0% of the women who gave birth via vaginal delivery underwent episiotomy. The rate of episiotomy was found to be 93.3% in primipara women and 30.2% in multipara women. It was determined that neonatal weight did not affect the episiotomy rate, and that neonatal height was higher in deliveries with episiotomy and suture. Also, it was determined that as the age and parity of the women decreased, the rate of episiotomy increased. CONCLUSION: The rate of episiotomy was observed to be high, especially in primipara women.

The effect of education given to primigravida women on fear of childbirth.

OBJECTIVE: The present study was conducted to determine the effect of education that is given information about the delivery room, labor and coping strategies with the fear of pain of childbirth in primigravida women. DESIGN: This study was conducted experimentally using pre-post tests and a control group. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: A total of 99 primigravida women with 50 in the study group and 49 in the control group at a maternity hospital in a city of middle region of Turkey were recruited to the study. METHODS: Data were collected using the Pregnant Introduction Form, Interview Form After Delivery and Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire (W-DEQ), version A. Verbal informed consent and approval were obtained from the participants and ethical committee. Preparatory labor education was provided in two sessions between pregnancy weeks 28 and 34 to the women in the study group. Fisher, MC Pearson, chi-square, Mann-Whitney U and Wilcoxon t tests were used for statistical data analysis. RESULTS: In the first interview session, no significant difference was found between W-DEQ-A scores of the study and control groups. The mean pre-education W-DEQ-A score was 61.1 while it was 42.0 post-education in the study group. The post-education W-DEQ-A score was 58.5 in the control group while it was 42.0 in the study group. CONCLUSIONS: It was determined that positive perception regarding birth was provided and fear of childbirth decreased with the preparation education for birth.

Insomnia in pregnancy and factors related to insomnia.

This study aims to investigate insomnia experienced by pregnant women and factors associated with it. This study was designed as hospital-based, descriptive, and cross-sectional research. The participants were 486 people chosen with nonprobability random sampling method. The data were collected through Women's Health Initiative Insomnia Rating Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, and Interview Form. Insomnia prevalence in women participating in this study was found 52.2%. The results of logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of insomnia was 2.03 times higher for those in the third trimester than those in the first and second trimesters, 2.19 times higher for those 20 years old and over than younger ones, and 2.63 times higher for those who had depression syndrome than those who did not. Insomnia in pregnant women who participated in this study was found to be at high rates.