Influência de fatores relacionados aos hábitos de vida na ocorrência da dor em mulheres com endometriose: uma contribuição da enfermagem

Abstract

Introduction: Endometriosis is a chronic, progressive and relapsing inflammatory pathology, with the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity, affecting approximately 2 to 17% of women of reproductive age, with pain being one of its main characteristics. Objective: To analyze the influence of factors related to lifestyle habits on the occurrence of pain in women diagnosed with endometriosis. Method: Descriptive survey-type study, cross-sectional with a quantitative approach, carried out in two reference centers for endometriosis in a state in northeastern Brazil. Collection was carried out between February and August 2023, through the application of validated questionnaires such as Sociodemographic (IBGE), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS) and Visual Analogue Pain Scale (VAS). After collection, the data were organized, validated and analyzed using the statistical package R, Version 3.6. The research was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Federal University of Alagoas. Results: 107 questionnaires were applied, where the highest levels of pain were related to women over 35 years old, married, mixed race, with complete medical education and with an income of one to three minimum wages, who had never been pregnant, had early menarche. Furthermore, it was possible to observe that the highest levels of pain were related to women with endometriosis who had postgraduate education with a prevalence of 18 times (RP = 1.18; p<0.001), declared themselves to be of a race other than white in 12 times (RP = 1.12; p<0,005), and they had menarche after 11 years of age 56 times (RP = 1.56; p<0,001). Regarding lifestyle habits, knowing that diet has a great influence on pain symptoms in women with endometriosis, there is a 59-fold prevalence of not taking vitamin D supplements (RP = 1.59; p<0.05), thus such as iron supplementation with a prevalence of 57 times (RP = 1.57; p<0.05) higher pain levels. Furthermore, the absence of physical activity is 190 times more likely (RP = 2.9; p<0.001) to experience higher levels of pain, just as the frequency of doing it every day increases 20 times (RP = 1.2; p<0.05) and the time of completion increases the pain intensity by 30 times (RP = 1.30; p<0.001). Regarding sleep, poor quality sleep is 190 times (RP = 2.9; p<0.001) more likely to experience higher levels of pain. Finally, extreme anxiety is 29 times more likely (RP = 1.29; p<0.05) to experience higher levels of pain. For the other variables analyzed in this group, no significant prevalence ratios (p<0.05) were found in relation to the reference categories defined a priori. Conclusion: It was evidenced that postgraduate education, non-white race, menarche after the age of 11 and some lifestyle habits such as not taking vitamin E and iron, lack of physical activity, frequency of doing it every day for longer than 180 minutes, poor sleep quality and extreme anxiety are strongly associated with pain in women with endometriosis, thus showing the importance of managing lifestyle habits as an alternative for treating endometriosis and controlling pain.