The associations between infertility-related stress, family adaptability and family cohesion in infertile couples

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>To explore the association between infertility-related stress, family adaptability and family cohesion in infertile couples and the determinants of infertility-related stress in infertile couples. Fertility Problem Inventory (FPI) and Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales (FACESII-CV) were used to measure the infertility-related stress and family adaptability and cohesion of infertile couples. T-test, ANOVA and multiple comparisons (LSD) were conducted to compare the FPI scores of different demographic characteristics subgroups. Stepwise multivariate linear regression was used to explore the determinants of infertility-related stress. Women had greater global stress than men (<jats:italic>P</jats:italic> < 0.001). Women scored higher on desired family adaptability, cohesion dissatisfaction and adaptive dissatisfaction than men (<jats:italic>P</jats:italic> = 0.039, <jats:italic>P</jats:italic> = 0.036, <jats:italic>P</jats:italic> = 0.008). FPI scores were higher in men and women who lived in rural (<jats:italic>P</jats:italic> < 0.001, <jats:italic>P</jats:italic> < 0.001). Family cohesion and education level was negatively correlated with infertility-related stress in men. Family adaptability and education level was negatively correlated with infertility-related stress in women. Healthcare providers should pay more attention and give more support to infertile couples who lived in rural or with low education level, and provide easier medical accessing for them. Moreover, healthcare providers should value more the family function and family support in intervention of reducing infertility-related stress. </jats:p>