Evaluation of the Quality of Life and its Related Factors among Infertile Couples

The quality of life of infertile couples has not been sufficiently considered due to its nature and the complexity of its relationship with the psychological status of individuals. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the quality of life and its related factors among infertile couples referred to Fatemieh Hospital in Hamadan, Iran.

This cross-sectional study was performed on 303 infertile couples referred to Fatemieh Hospital, Hamadan, Iran, in 2019. The participants were selected by simple random sampling and entered into the study. Data collection tools included demographic characteristics form and a quality of life questionnaire (SF-36). Data were analyzed by SPSS software (version 24) using the Pearson correlation test, independent t-test, and one-way ANOVA.

The mean age of the participants was 30.94±6.21 years. Moreover, 37.3% of the study participants reported 2-4 years of infertility, and 59.4% of them did not use any of the assisted reproductive methods, such as IUI and IVF. The results showed that 68.2% of the participants obtained the maximum achievable score of total quality of life indicating a relatively favorable quality of life among infertile couples in Hamadan. There was also a significant relationship between income and quality of life (P<0.05).

The results of this study showed that the quality of life of infertile couples in Hamadan is relatively desirable. However, more careful planning seems necessary to improve their quality of life.