Purpose: Infertile women experience various physical, psychological, and relational problems that affect their infertility-related quality of life (QoL). This study investigated infertile women's infertility-related QoL with the goal of identifying how it is influenced by fatigue, depression, and marital intimacy.
Methods: A sample of 140 infertile women was surveyed in a cross-sectional study. Data were collected from February to April 2018 using self-report structured questionnaires at three infertility clinics located in Jeonju, Korea. Data were analyzed using the independent t-test, analysis of variance, Pearson correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression analysis in SPSS for Windows version 25.0. The subjects agreed to complete a face-to-face interview, including administration of the Fatigue Severity Scale, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21, Marital Intimacy Scale, and the Fertility Quality of Life tool.
Results: The mean age of the participants was 35.6��4.3 years. Infertility-related QoL was negatively correlated with fatigue (r=-.42, <.001) and depression (r=-.56, <.001), and positively correlated with marital intimacy (r=.30, <.001). Multiple regression analysis showed that depression (��=-0.44, <.001), fatigue (��=-0.27, <.001), and husband's attitude (��=-0.19, =.007) had significant effects on the QoL of infertile women, accounting for 40.5% of the variance in infertility-related QoL.
Conclusion: The study provides insights into how infertile women's infertility-related QoL was influenced by depression, fatigue, and their husbands' attitudes regarding infertility treatment. To improve infertile women's infertility-related QoL, healthcare providers should consider developing strategies to decrease depression and fatigue in infertile women and to address their husbands' attitudes.
