Psychological well being and the associated factors of primary infertile females in the colombo district

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Primary infertility has a considerable impact on the psychological well being of the female partner of a couple. Therefore this study on psychological well being and its correlates was carried out with the intention of finding means to provide better care for infertile females. OBJECTIVE: To compare the psychological well being of primary infertile females with a group of fertile females and to identify some demographic, treatment as well as infertility related marital and social factors associated with psychological well being. STUDY DESIGN: Community based comparative cross sectional study. STUDY SETTING: Colombo district, Western Province, Sri Lanka, METHOD: Psychological well being of 177 primary infertile women identified in a community prevalence survey in the Colombo district and 177 controls matched for age and duration of marriage was evaluated using the GHQ_30. A pre-tested questionnaire was used to obtain other related Information. Odds ratios and logistic regression analysis was used to identify relationships among infertile females. RESULTS: A significantly higher proportion of primary infertile females(66.1%;95%CI59.14-73.06)hadpsychoiogical distress as compared to fertile females (15%; 95%CI 9.75-2-0.25) (p<0.001). After controlling for other variables, primary infertile females with a lower educational status (OR=55.34; 95%CI 15.23-201.06), poor marital communication (OR=3.45;95%CI 1.22-9.75), higher priority for having children (OR=4.18; 95%CI 1.25-13.82), previously investigated/treated for infertility (OR=39.11; 95%CI 8.25-185.41) or currently investigated/treated for infertility (OR=10.99; 95%CI 2.98-40.61) had a higher risk for being psychologically distressed. CONCLUSIONS: Primary infertile females are at a higher risk of developing psychological distress as compared to fertile females. Lower education status, being previously or currently investigated/treated, placing a high importance of having children and poor marital communication were predictors of psychological distress among primary infertile females.