Disability and functioning of women with low‐risk pregnancy: Assessment using the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0)

Objective To evaluate the disability and functioning of women with low‐risk pregnancy in the second and third gestational trimesters. Methods A longitudinal observational study was conducted from June 5, 2015, to April 30, 2016, in Family Health Units in the city of Santa Cruz, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, involving women who were in the second trimester of pregnancy where the pregnancy had been classified as low‐risk. A form was designed specifically for the study to collect sociodemographic, urogynecological, and obstetric data. Functioning and disability were assessed using WHODAS 2.0, and descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were performed. Results Higher levels of disability were observed in cognition in the second trimester (P=0.021), while mobility and life activities domains had higher scores (higher score meaning the woman was more adversely affected) in the third trimester (P=0.007 and P=0.029). Urinary incontinence in the second trimester affected functioning in participation (P=0.023). Pain affected life activities (P=0.023) in the second trimester and participation in the third trimester (P=0.044); and general functioning (P=0.050 and P=0.025), mobility (P=0.002 and P=0.001), and self‐care (P=0.0446 and P=0.023) in the second and third trimesters, respectively. Conclusion The findings showed that, even in a low‐risk pregnancy, functioning can be affected in different domains. The identification of impairments to functioning could enable improvement in care. Longitudinal studies involving the first trimester and postpartum are necessary to gain insight into women's disability and functioning during the pregnancy–puerperal period. Pregnancy can affect functioning in the domains of cognition, mobility, and life activities. Muscle/joint pain during pregnancy affected four of the six areas of functioning listed in WHODAS 2.0.