Health-related quality of life in women with nausea and vomiting of pregnancy: the importance of psychosocial context

Objective: To test whether women with hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) demonstrated lower health-related quality of life (HRQoL) scores compared with those with nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP). Study Design: Women with HG or NVP were examined during the first trimester. Multivariate models identified characteristics of women at risk for low HRQoL, as measured by an NVP-specific HRQoL test and a generic HRQoL test, the Short Form (SF)-36. Result: Although the SF-36 assessment did not discriminate between the two groups, the NVP-specific test showed that women with HG (N=29) were 3-6 times more likely than women with NVP (N=48) to have low HRQoL. Both tests demonstrated that perceived physical symptoms and multiple psychosocial factors, such as depression and marital status, seemed to be equally or more important than having HG. Conclusion: Although a low HRQoL was associated with an HG diagnosis, multiple physical symptoms and psychosocial factors placed both groups of women at risk. Journal of Perinatology (2011) 31, 10-20; doi:10.1038/jp.2010.54; published online 22 April 2010