Funcionalidade e qualidade de vida na gestação: um estudo transversal

Abstract

Pregnancy is a physiological process marked by physical, emotional, and social changes that can affect a woman’s functioning and quality of life. Changes throughout the trimesters impact daily activities and the perception of well-being. Assessing these aspects allows for a better understanding of the needs of pregnant women and helps guide care that is more appropriate for each stage of pregnancy. Objective: To describe the functional status and quality of life of Brazilian pregnant women in different trimesters. Method: This is an observational, cross-sectional study (CAAE:78496324.3.0000.5504) that included Brazilian pregnant women aged ≥ 18 years receiving prenatal care. A questionnaire was used to collect personal and sociodemographic data, in addition to two other questionnaires: the World Health Organization Quality of Life BREF and the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0. The participants’ demographic data were analyzed descriptively. Analyses of the scores for functional status and quality of life, as well as comparisons between trimesters, were performed using Welch’s ANOVA with a Games-Howell post hoc test (p < 0.05). Results: A total of 110 pregnant women participated: 28.2% (31) were in the first trimester with a mean age of 32.9 ±4.3 years, 30.9% (34) were in the second trimester with a mean age of 31.9 ±5.3 years, and 40.9% (45) were in the third trimester with a mean age of 30.2 ±5.38 years. The mean parity was 0.77 ± 0.9, 0.8 ± 1.1, and 0.86 ± 0.9, respectively, across the trimesters. There was a progressive decline in functional status (WHODAS: 18.2 in the first trimester, 22.5 in the second, and 25.9 in the third; p < 0.001). Quality of life declined in the physical (p=0.004), social relationships (p=0.020), and environment (p<0.001) domains, particularly in the third trimester. The psychological domain showed no significant difference. Discussion: The results revealed a progressive decline in functionality and quality of life among pregnant women, especially in the third trimester. The physical, social relationships, and environment domains were the most affected, while the psychological domain remained stable. These findings reinforce the need to address the impact of pregnancy-related changes on women’s overall health. Conclusion: Functionality and quality of life varied throughout pregnancy, especially in the third trimester, influencing mobility and physical performance. Social relationships and the environment were shown to be impacted during pregnancy, whereas the psychological domain did not differ between the groups.