Analysis of the levels of hope and influencing factors in infertile women with first-time and repeated IVF-ET cycles

PURPOSE: To explore the hope levels and influencing factors in infertile women undergoing first-time and repeated in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) cycles. METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional and convenient sampling study conducted among patients undergoing IVF-ET from January to June 2019. Patients were divided into first-time and repeated groups by the number of IVF-ET cycles, and then a questionnaire survey was administered. The questionnaire included demographic information, Herth hope index (HHI) scale, Locke-Wallace short marital-adjustment test scale and social support rating scale. Multiple linear regression was used to analyse the influencing factors associated with hope levels. RESULTS: A total of 298 IVF-ET patients were recruited for the study, including 150 (50.3%) in the first-time cycle group and 148 (49.7%) in the repeated cycle group. The HHI score of the repeated cycle group was significantly lower than that of the first-time cycle group (34.4 ± 3.5 vs. 37.5 ± 3.7, P < 0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that repeated IVF-ET and age were independently negatively correlated with HHI, with standardized coefficient β values of − 0.895 and − 0.223, respectively (both P < 0.001). High education level (P = 0.002), high monthly income (P = 0.020), high degree of short marital-adjustment test (P < 0.001) and social support rating (P < 0.001) were independently positively correlated with HHI. CONCLUSION: Infertile women undergoing repeated IVF-ET have low hope levels. Maintaining a good marriage adjustment and establishing a good social support and relationship network could effectively improve their hope levels.