A new quality-of-life measure for men experiencing involuntary childlessness

Schanz, Stefan; Baeckert-Sifeddine, I. T.; Braeunlich, C.; Collins, Sally; Batra, Adarsh; Gebert, S.; Hautzinger, Martin; Fierlbeck, Gerhard

doi:10.1093/humrep/dei127

Cited by 27 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…Quality of life was assessed using the English short version of the ‘Tuebingen Quality of Life Questionnaire’ (TLMK) adapted for females [27,28]. Our questionnaire consisted of 29 items which explored multiple areas, including desire for a child and associated stress, marital relationship, gender identity, and psychological well-being on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from’1=strongly disagree’ to ‘5=strongly agree’ (Additional file 1).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quality of life, coping strategies and support needs of women seeking Traditional Chinese Medicine for infertility and viable pregnancy in Australia: a mixed methods approach

Ried

Alfred

2013

BMC Women's Health

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BackgroundInfertility affects about 15% of couples in Western-societies with most progressing to fertility clinics for treatment. Despite being common, infertility is often experienced as a lonely road for affected couples. In this paper we expand on our previously published findings of women’s experiences with infertility or difficulty of viable pregnancy who had sought Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) therapy in Australia, and focus on women’s quality of life, coping strategies, and support needs.MethodsWe applied mixed methods using the Tuebingen Quality of Life and the COPE questionnaires and in-depth interviews with 25 women with primary or secondary infertility, recurrent miscarriages or unexplained stillbirth, and who had consulted a TCM practitioner. We used a thematic approach to analyse the interviews, and descriptive statistics to evaluate questionnaire responses.ResultsWomen reported through both questionnaires and interviews compromised quality of life due to the high level of distress, guilt, grief, and frustration caused by infertility. However, our women represented a highly motivated sample, actively seeking alternative support. While the TCM approach to infertility management increased women’s sense of personal agency and control through education and continuity of care, the need for greater understanding and support on a societal level remains.ConclusionsIn infertility, ongoing emotional and instrumental support is pivotal to the wellbeing and quality of life of the affected. Traditional Chinese Medicine addresses some support needs in infertility not routinely available in the Western model of care. More peer-led and professional-led support groups are greatly needed for women experiencing infertility to help break isolation and raise awareness of integrative approaches to fertility management.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quality of life, coping strategies and support needs of women seeking Traditional Chinese Medicine for infertility and viable pregnancy in Australia: a mixed methods approach

Ried

Alfred

2013

BMC Women's Health

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“…Hudson & Culley, ), the possibility to indicate further roles and the perceived involvement in the treatment process on a five‐point scale. Quality of life was assessed with the German quality‐of‐life measure Tübinger Lebensqualitätsfragebogen für Männer mit Kinderwunsch (TLMK), which has been developed specifically for men with involuntary childlessness (Schanz et al ., ). The TLMK consists of 35 items categorised into four scales: ‘desire for a child’, ‘partnership’, ‘gender identity’ and ‘psychological well‐being’ and is rated on a five‐point scale; high overall scores indicate lower quality of life.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Effects of medical causes, role concepts and treatment stages on quality of life in involuntary childless men

et al. 2016

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Goal of this study was to investigate differences in quality of life in men contingent upon various fertility treatment stages, infertility causes and adoption of roles. A quantitative study with n = 115 men in three German fertility centres was devised. Participants completed a standardised, fertility-specific questionnaire devised for men (TLMK), sociodemographic and role items. Men having experienced severe medical conditions, for example cancer, reported significant higher quality of life compared to men with other infertility reasons [F(1,56) = 12.77, P = 0.001]. Furthermore, allocating participants into distinctive groups by means of kind and duration of treatment revealed significant group differences [F(2,111) = 4.94, P = 0.009], with quality of life decreasing with the use of more invasive fertility methods. A higher satisfaction with life was also stated by men adopting many tasks in the treatment process. The high quality of life displayed by men having experienced severe medical conditions contains valuable and far-reaching information about possible resilience factors that need to be researched more in detail. The finding of decreasing quality of life in men with the use of more invasive methods in treatment applies for increased psychosocial services in fertility clinics.

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“…The TLMK questionnaire is a quality of life instrument that has been developed and validated specifically for men with involuntary childlessness; the development and validation of this questionnaire have been reported elsewhere (Schanz et al ., ). It consists of 35 items categorised into four scales: ‘desire for a child’, ‘partnership’, ‘gender identity’ and ‘psychological well‐being’.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…() used the SF‐36 but neither of these general quality of life instruments may be sufficiently sensitive to measure the quality of life domains that are specifically related to infertility. A specific instrument for measuring quality of life in men with involuntary childlessness has subsequently been developed (Schanz et al ., ). This is the first longitudinal study conducted using this instrument.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Quality of life in men with involuntary childlessness: long-term follow-up

et al. 2013

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We conducted a longitudinal cohort study on the quality of life of infertile male patients measured at baseline and after 5 years with a specific quality of life instrument for male patients who are involuntarily childless. It was distributed to patients who were seen at the andrology and gynaecology clinics for infertility diagnoses and treatment. At baseline (T1), 275 patients took part in the study. A subset of these patients (N = 133) had released two semen samples, and the results of the semen analysis had been communicated to them before they received the questionnaire. Semen quality of this subset was assessed according to WHO recommendations. After 5 years (T2), the questionnaires were mailed again and were sent back by N = 101 patients. No significant quality of life difference was found between the semen quality groups. After 5 years, an improvement was found for the dimensions 'desire for a child' [mean score 1.92 (T1) versus 1.72 (T2)] and 'gender identity' [mean score 1.56 (T1) versus 1.42 (T2)] while no change was found for 'partnership' and 'psychological well-being'. We did not find significant differences between patients who had fathered a child in the meantime and patients who did not become fathers.

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A new quality-of-life measure for men experiencing involuntary childlessness

Cited by 27 publications

References 35 publications

Quality of life, coping strategies and support needs of women seeking Traditional Chinese Medicine for infertility and viable pregnancy in Australia: a mixed methods approach

Quality of life, coping strategies and support needs of women seeking Traditional Chinese Medicine for infertility and viable pregnancy in Australia: a mixed methods approach

Effects of medical causes, role concepts and treatment stages on quality of life in involuntary childless men

Quality of life in men with involuntary childlessness: long-term follow-up

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