The effect of educational intervention on the quality of life of women suffering from pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting: A systematic review

Abstract Background Various interventions have been implemented to improve the quality of life for women suffering from pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting. Objective The present study aimed to determine the influence of educational interventions on improving the quality of life of women suffering from pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting as a systematic review. Methods The current Systematic Review followed the standard PRISMA checklist guideline. The English electronic databases were used to identify relevant studies published until 14 August 2023. The search strategies employed were based on Mesh browser keywords. and free-text words. The study risk of bias was evaluated using the Cochrane Collaboration's tool for assessing the risk of bias tools and publication bias was evaluated using a funnel plot and Begg and Egger tests. The heterogeneity of the studies was evaluated using I2 and tau-squared tests. Data were analyzed using the RevMan 5 software. Results of the random-effects meta-analysis were presented using the standard mean difference, along with a 95% confidence interval. Results Out of the 7 RCT studies with a total of 946 subjects included in the review, five studies reported a significant result, indicating that the interventions had a statistically significant effect on the quality of life of women suffering pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting and in two studies did not have a significant result. A subgroup analysis was done based on the type of quality-of-life measurements. The pooled standardized mean difference (SMD) of four articles (NVPQOL) with a total of 335 subjects was -2.91, and (CI) of -4.72 to -1.11, p-value= 0.002, I2=97.2%). The pooled standardized mean difference (SMD) of three articles (SF36) with a total of 611 subjects was -0.05, and (CI) of -0.23 to -0.12, p-value = 0.550, I2=10%. Conclusion The overall results of the analysis indicated that educational intervention had a small positive impact on the quality of life of women experiencing pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting. However, to draw a better conclusion, it is recommended to conduct further studies with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up periods.