Coping Strategies and Quality of Life Among Clients with Infertility: A Cross-sectional Study at a Nigerian Teaching Hospital

Abstract

Background: Infertility affects over 70 million couples worldwide and can significantly impact psychological wellbeing and quality of life. This study investigated coping strategies and quality of life among clients attending a fertility clinic in Nigeria.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 40 clients attending the fertility clinic at University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital between January-March 2024. Data were collected using an adapted Folkman and Lazarus Ways of Coping questionnaire and quality of life assessment tool. Descriptive and inferential statistics were analyzed using SPSS version 21.0.

Results: Among the 40 participants, 70% were female with a mean age of 36 ± 5.41 years. A majority (87.5%) had attained tertiary education, and 57.5% reported secondary infertility, with infertility duration ranging from 2 to 11 years (mean 5 ± 2.63 years). Problem-focused coping strategies were predominant (94%), including planning, seeking advice, and religious coping. Support mechanisms mainly involved spouses (95%), family (86.5%), counselors (55.6%), and online forums (37.5%). Equal proportions of respondents (45%) reported poor and good quality of life. No significant associations were found between infertility type and quality of life (p = 0.735) or between gender and coping strategies (p = 0.347).

Conclusion: While most clients utilized adaptive problem-focused coping strategies, nearly half reported poor quality of life. Healthcare providers should incorporate routine psychological assessment and counseling throughout fertility treatment to enhance coping and improve quality of life outcomes.

Keywords: Infertility, Coping strategies, Quality of life, Psychological support, Nigeria