Effect of Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on sexual function of pregnant women: a double blind randomized controlled trial

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on female sexual function during pregnancy. The present study was a double-blind randomized controlled clinical trial performed on 124 pregnant women (62 people in each group) at 16-22 weeks of gestation who referred to health centers in Ilam in 2020 to receive prenatal care. The intervention group received 300 mg of omega-3 supplements and the control group received placebo once a day for 8 weeks. Data collection tools in this study included a demographic questionnaire, three 24-h dietary recall (24HR), female sexual function index (FSFI), and Van den Bergh Pregnancy-Related Anxiety Questionnaire (PRAQ). Before intervention, the total score of sexual function in the intervention group and control groups, showed no statistically significant difference (P = 0.123). However, 4 and 8 weeks after intervention, the mean total score of sexual function in the intervention group was significantly higher than that of the control group after intervention (P < 0.0001). Before intervention, the total score of gestational anxiety in the intervention and control groups, showed no statistically significant difference (P = 0.149). However, 4 and 8 weeks after intervention, the mean total score of gestational anxiety in the intervention group was significantly lower than that of the control group (P < 0.0001). Based on three 24-h dietary recall, regardless of daily intake of 300 mg of omega-3 supplement, the percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) intake from daily energy intake was not statistically significant between the intervention and control groups from baseline to follow-up (P > 0.01). Based on the results of this study, omega-3 supplementation could improve sexual function in pregnant women by preventing increased pregnancy anxiety. However, more studies are needed to prove the effectiveness of omega-3s on female sexual function during pregnancy. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences (Ref. ID: IR.AJUMS.REC.1398.935) and registered in Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (Ref. ID: IRCT20200415047078N1).

The prevalence of sexual dysfunctions in pregnant women and the correlated factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Sexual functions are negatively affected during pregnancy with the emergence of physical, hormonal, mental, emotional, and behavioral changes; however, there is no cumulative knowledge about the global prevalence of sexual dysfunction (SD) in pregnant women and the correlated factors in SD.

AIM

The study aimed to determine the prevalence of SD among pregnant women and the factors correlated with their SD scores.

METHODS

A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies focusing on SD in pregnant women were conducted in the PubMed, EBSCOhost, Web of Science, Turkish Medline, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Ovid databases by using the following combination of keywords: "pregnant" OR "pregnancy" AND "sexual dysfunction."

OUTCOMES

Nearly 70% of pregnant women were at risk for SD. The age of the pregnant woman, the spouse's age, and the duration of marriage were negatively correlated with the SD score, while the education level was positively correlated with it.

RESULTS

Initially, 5644 studies were identified: 693 studies were evaluated for eligibility and 668 were removed following the exclusion criteria. A total of 25 studies involving 6871 pregnant women were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled SD prevalence in pregnant women was 69.7% (95% CI, 59.9%-77.9%).

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

The results of this study can be used in the organization of prenatal care, especially for pregnant women at high risk for SD.

STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS

This meta-analysis is the first to reveal the global prevalence of SD and the factors correlated with SD scores in pregnant women. The most important limitation of this study is that it analyzes documents showing pregnant women at risk for SD according to an unconfirmed measurement tool for pregnant women.

CONCLUSION

Most pregnant women experience SD symptoms. More research is needed, specifically on validated tools that assess pregnancy-specific SD symptoms.

Psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the Pregnancy Sexual Response Inventory

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to adapt the Pregnancy Sexual Response Inventory (PSRI) into Turkish and to determine the psychometric properties for pregnant women.

METHODS

A total of 139 pregnant women were included in the study. The psychometric features of the questionnaire were analyzed in terms of internal consistency, test-retest reliability, content and criterion validity. The Turkish version of the PSRI and the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) was completed by the pregnant women. Criterion validity was tested by measuring the correlations between the total and subscale scores of the PSRI and the FSFI.

RESULTS

The test-retest reliability of the Turkish PSRI was found to be moderate to very strong (ICC = 0.57-0.96, p < 0.001). The internal consistency [Cronbach's alpha (α) coefficient] was found to be 0.65-0.70 before pregnancy and 0.73-0.80 during pregnancy. The criterion validity of the PSRI was supported by moderate to strong correlations between the subscales of the FSFI (desire, arousal, orgasm, satisfaction, pain) and the subscales of the PSRI-during pregnancy (r = 0.59, r = 0.45, r = 0.64, r = 0.53, r = 0.41, p < 0.001, respectively). The total score of the PSRI was significantly correlated with the total score of the FSFI (r = 0.71, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The results of this study showed that the Turkish version of the PSRI has valid and reliable properties for assessing sexuality and sexual response during pregnancy.

International Fitness Scale-IFIS: Validity and association with health-related quality of life in pregnant women

This study aimed (a) to examine the construct validity of the International Fitness Scale (IFIS) to discriminate between different objectively measured physical fitness levels in pregnant women and (b) to assess the extent to which IFIS is able to discriminate between pregnant women with different levels of health-related quality of life (HRQoL). A total of 159 pregnant women were involved in the GESTAtion and FITness project: 106 pregnant women (mean age 32.7, SD 4.4 years) were included. Self-reported physical fitness-that is, cardiorespiratory fitness, muscular strength, flexibility, and overall fitness-was assessed with the IFIS. Physical fitness was objectively measured using the Bruce test, the handgrip strength test and the back-scratch test. The HRQoL was assessed with the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Higher self-reported physical fitness measured with IFIS was associated with higher objectively measured physical fitness (P < .05). There was a linear association so that higher self-reported physical fitness (ie, IFIS; regardless of the fitness component) was related to greater General Health dimension scores (P < .05). Moreover, higher self-reported physical fitness (all components except muscular strength) was associated with better Physical Functioning, lower Bodily Pain and higher Vitality scores (ie, SF-36 components). This linear trend was not seen for objectively measured physical fitness. The results of this study suggest that IFIS might be a useful tool for identifying pregnant women with low or very low physical fitness and with low quality of life health-related. Further research should elucidate whether IFIS can identify women with pregnancy complications before it can be implemented in clinical practice.