Abstract:

Purpose:In this study, it was aimed to examine the effect of restless leg syndrome in pregnant women on sleep quality and anxiety. Patients and Methods:Data of the descriptive study were collected from 245 pregnant women via a personal information form, Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) Diagnostic Form, Restless Leg Syndrome Severity Grading Scale (RLSSGS), Spielberger Trait Anxiety Inventory-STAI Form TX-2 (SSKE) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), between April-June 2019. In the analysis of the statistical data, descriptive statistics were used besides Student t Test, Pearson’s correlation analysis, Logistic and Linear regression analysis. Results:Age and gestational week averages of the pregnant women were 27.82±5.70 and 32.55±5.77, respectively. The pregnant women’s score averages were found to be; 6.77±9.35 for the RLS, 6.54±4.01 for the PSQI and 51.08±10.45 for the SSKE. According to the RLS Diagnostic Form, RLS (+) was determined in 18% of the pregnant women. It was determined that there was a significant difference between the RLS presence and the PSQI and RLSSGS score averages (p<0.001). There was a significant, weak and positive correlation between the RLSSGS and PSQI score averages (p<0.001) and a significant and very weak correlation between the PSQI and SSKE score averages (p=0.003). According to the logistic regression analysis, a 1-point increase in the RLSSGS score averages of the pregnant women caused a 1-point increase in the RLS frequency (p<0.001). According to the linear regression analysis, the PSQI score averages of the pregnant women affected their RLS severity (p<0.01) (Table 5). Conclusion:In our study, there was a correlation between the RLS and sleep quality of pregnant women; however, the RLS did not affect their anxiety levels. Nurses and midwives should evaluate the RLS, sleep quality and anxiety levels of all pregnant women and inform them during prenatal follow-ups.

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