Evaluation of the relationship between restless legs syndrome, mental status, and sleep disorders among Moroccan women during their third trimester of pregnancy

Background

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a motor disorder encountered during pregnancy and leads to psychological and sleep impairments. The latter seems to be non-restorative and its occurrence alters the quality of life of pregnant women. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of RLS and its relationship with both anxio-depressive symptoms and sleep disorders among a population of Moroccan pregnant women during their third trimester of pregnancy.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted in a population of pregnant women in their third trimester (n=178) admitted to two health facilities in the city of Marrakech: Youssef Ibn Tachafine and Oasis. The face-to-face questionnaire was used to collect data including demographic and clinical characteristics, the four diagnostic criteria of RLS, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Patients were divided into two groups RLS+ (women with RLS) and RLS- (women without RLS).

Results

The prevalence of RLS was 59.5%; this syndrome was more common in the ninth month (74.15%) compared with the seventh and eighth months. Sleep impairment, including sleep efficiency, was significantly higher in RLS+ than RLS- (P-value 0.05). Anxiety but not depression is significantly increased in RLS+ compared to RLS- (48.11% versus 38.8%, P = 0.000). There were no significant differences between RLS+ and RLS- in terms of socio-demographic and other clinical characteristics.

Conclusion

RLS is encountered during the prenatal period, with a higher prevalence in the last trimester. During this stage of pregnancy, women suffering from RLS were vulnerable to anxiety and sleep disorders. Prevention and early diagnosis of RLS could be a proactive healthcare management leading to better health outcomes and better conditions of pregnancy, which precedes childbirth.

Cancer type, major determinant of mental distress in gyneco-mammary cancer patients undergoing antineoplastic treatment: cross-sectional analysis

Mental health disorders are common in cancer patients. However, these disorders are still underestimated in oncology. The aim of the present study is to examine the effect of breast cancer and gynecological cancer on mental health disorders in women who have undergone nonsurgical antineoplastic treatment for gyneco-mammary cancer and to investigate the predictors of these mental disorders.

Material and Methods

A cross-sectional study was carried out on Moroccan women treated with nonsurgical treatment for breast or gynecological cancer (N=200). The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Body Image Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale, and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, were used.

Results

The type of cancer had a significant effect on mental health disorders but not the age. Women with breast cancer had significantly more mental health problems than women with gynecological cancer (P-values ​​<0.01). The predictive model of anxiety included the effects of the following variables: having a lower school level and an advanced tumor stage. While the predictive model of depression included advanced tumor stage and disease recurrence. For poor sleep quality, the variables included were: not having an occupation and having a lower monthly income. The variables that predicted body image dissatisfaction were: being younger, being unmarried, and living in a rural area.

Conclusion

High mental distress in women with breast cancer and gynecological cancer is favored by several predictive factors. The implementation of a protocol for the assessment and management of distress is necessary in oncology departments.