The association of psychosocial factors with nausea and vomiting during pregnancy

Abstract

Objectives. The purpose of this study was to identify predictors for nausea and vomiting during pregnancy (NVP).

Study design. A large German health insurance company provided data on prescription reimbursements and sociodemographics for all women giving birth between June 2000 and May 2001. The prescribed drugs were classified according to the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) code. The data was linked to the database of the Bavarian Perinatal Study in order to obtain information about psychosocial variables. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to test several psychosocial variables as possible predictors of NVP.

Results. The risk of developing NVP was two times higher for non-smokers than for smokers (OR = 2.03 KI [1.02–4.05]) and dropped about 3% (OR = 0.97 KI [0.94–0.99]) with every year of age. Being single raised the risk of NVP by about 50% (OR = 1.49 KI [1.24–1.79]) compared to women who lived with a partner, and among these women living alone, working lowered the adjusted risk about two thirds (OR = 0.34 KI [0.24–0.49]) compared to women who did not work.

Conclusion. Psychosocial variables have a clear influence on nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. Physicians should be aware of this fact when seeing women asking for treatment.

Keywords:

• Antiemetics
• nausea
• vomiting
• psychosocial factors
• pregnancy