Maternal Predictors Associated with Quality of Life during Pregnancy in Southern India

A woman’s life undergoes several physiological changes during pregnancy, which have an impact on their health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Therefore, evaluating QoL during pregnancy could support the implementation of innovative practices for improving outcomes. The main objective of this study is to evaluate and identify the predictors associated with HRQoL during the trimesters of pregnancy. A cross-sectional study was carried out across slum areas of Hyderabad City on a sample of 267 lactating mothers having less than 6-month-old infants during August to October 2022. HRQoL was measured through the World Health Organization Quality of Life–Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF) instrument, and questionnaires on maternal and socio-demographic variables were included. The analysis was performed using SPSS version 21. Descriptive statistics, probability and χ 2 analysis were used to identify associated factors and Cronbach’s α was used to assess the reliability of questionnaires. This study reveals that socio-economic predictors associated with QoL were community, source of water, type of house, debt and foods taken. Age at marriage, having diabetes or blood pressure, economic status, education, multiparous and doing exercise were associated with HRQoL during pregnancy. This study underscores that modifiable factors would improve QoL, whereas mean values of all domains of HRQoL are lowest during the third trimester, suggesting more policies and implementation of actions for better outcomes.