Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) domains most valued by urban IsiXhosa-speaking people

Purpose The aim of the study was to investigate and identify aspects of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) that are most valued by IsiXhosa-speaking people resident in underresourced areas of Cape Town, South Africa. Methodology Fifty-seven domains of HRQoL were identified as important through group discussions with IsiXhosa-speaking people. Participants randomly selected from the community (n = 601) and from individuals seeking medical attention at a local clinic (n = 102) graded the domains on a visual analogue scale (VAS) ranging from 0 for “not at all important” to 10 for “ very important”. The domains were then mapped to the categories of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. Results The domains regarded as being most important were Food availability [9.5, standard deviation (SD) = 1.52), Owning a brick house (9.4, SD = 1.57), Access to medical services (9.4, SD = 1.55) and Family safety (9.4, SD = 1.7). Having no bodily pain ranked 40th. Environmental Factors were valued significantly more than the other two categories, and those related to Body Functions were valued higher than domains in the category of Activity and Participation. Discussion and conclusion Despite being asked specifically to answer the questions in relation to their health status, the participants apparently did not differentiate between general quality of life (QoL) and specific HRQoL. It appears that members of an underresourced community regard socioeconomic and service delivery aspects of their lives as integral to their perceived state of health. It may be that it is not possible to separate out factors relating to general QoL from those specifically related to HRQoL in an underresourced population, and such populations might not be suitable for inclusion in certain clinical trials where an improvement in HRQoL is the required outcome. Alternatively, if an HRQoL instrument is to be used to monitor the impact of medical interventions, the inclusion of Environmental Factors should be considered.     

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with cancer and other concurrent illnesses

This study analyzed the impact of eight common chronic medical conditions on cancer patients' health-related quality of life (HRQoL) as measured by the functional living index-cancer (FLIC). The FLIC was administered to a population of 405 people in 14 communities in the North Central US within 4-8 weeks of diagnosis with breast or colorectal cancer. At that time, patients also self-reported any other health conditions for which they had been receiving medical treatment. The impact of the selected chronic conditions on the FLIC scores was analyzed using Student's t-tests and linear multiple regression. In the bivariate analysis, patients with heart/circulation problems had lower FLIC total scores (p < 0.05), physical well-being subscale scores (p < 0.05), and nausea subscale scores (p < 0.01). Patients with diabetes had lower nausea subscale scores (p < 0.05). The social well-being subscale score was higher with the report of arthritis/joint problems (p = 0.001). In multivariate analysis adjusted for age, arthritis/joint problems were predictive of the social well-being (p < 0.01) and hardship due to cancer (p < 0.05) subscale scores; heart/circulation problems (p < 0.001) and diabetes were predictive of the nausea subscale scores. ECOG performance status was significant predictor for the FLIC total and all of the subscale scores. HRQoL as measured with the FLIC scores in patients with cancer is impacted by the presence of other concurrent health conditions; this finding has implications for HRQoL theory and application.     

Proxy reliability: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measures for people with disability

Objectives: Research and surveillance activities sometimes require that proxy respondents provide key exposure or outcome information, especially for studies of people with disability (PWD). In this study, we compared the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) responses of index PWD to proxies. Methods: Subjects were selected from nursing home, other assisted living residences, and from several clinic samples of PWD. Each index identified one or more proxy respondents. Computer-assisted interviews used a random order of measures. Proxy reliability was measured by intraclass correlation (ICC) and κ statistics. HRQoL measures tested included the surveillance questions of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), basic and instrumental activities of daily living (ADLs and IADLs), medical outcomes study short-form 36 and 12 (SF-36 and SF-12). Results: A total of 131 index-proxy sets were completed. In general, agreement and reliability of proxy responses to the PWD tended to be best for relatives, with friends lower, and health care proxies lowest. For example, the ICC for the physical functioning scale of the SF-36 was 0.68 for relatives, 0.51 for friends, and 0.40 for healthcare proxies. There was a tendency for proxies to overestimate impairment and underestimate HRQoL. This pattern was reversed for measures of pain, which proxies consistently underestimated. The pattern among instruments, proxy types, and HRQoL domains was complex, and individual measures vary from these general results. Conclusions: We suggest caution when using proxy respondents for HRQoL, especially those measuring more subjective domains. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

城市贫困人群生命质量及其主要影响因素

目的 研究城市贫困人群生命质量及其主要影响因素。方法 用SF-36量表对沈阳市237名贫困人群和261名对照人群的生命质量进行评价。经t检验、Logistic回归分析得出主要影响因素。结果 贫困人群与对照人群的生命质量有显著性差异。年龄、性别、医疗花费、债务、救济渠道、患病对贫困人群的生理健康影响明显；而医疗花费、教育花费、债务、救济渠道则是影响贫困人群心理健康的主要因素。除生理职能(RP)维度以外，其它维度的量化值均随困难年数增加而减少。结论 被调查贫困人群的生命质量低于对照人群，尤以35～50岁年龄段的贫困人群更为明显。贫困人群的生命质量受年龄、性别、医疗花费、债务、救济渠道、患病、教育花费等因素影响。     

四川省空巢老人生命质量及影响因素研究

目的 了解四川省空巢老人的生命质量现状并探讨其影响因素,为提高空巢老人生命质量提供参考依据。 方法 本资料来源于2018年国家第六次卫生服务调查四川省调查数据,健康相关生命质量用EQ-5D效用值和EQ-VAS得分进行衡量。采用两水平方差成分模型探索空巢老人生命质量的影响因素。结果 共调查4587名空巢老人, EQ-5D 效用值平均为(74.05±1.39) 分,VAS评分平均为(66.54±0.278) 分。年龄较小、文化程度较高、就业状态为在业、12个月内未饮酒、经常参加体育锻炼、无高血压和糖尿病的空巢老人EQ-5D效用值较高。结论 空巢老人的生命质量整体偏低。可通过倡导健康行为、提高健康意识、加强慢性病防控等途径来提高空巢老人生命质量。     

Health-related quality of life measures for women with urinary incontinence: the Incontinence Impact Questionnaire and the Urogenital Distress Inventory

Urinary incontinence (UI) is a relatively common condition in middle-aged and older women. Traditional measures of symptoms do not adequately capture the impact that UI has on individuals' lives. Further, severe morbidity and mortality are not associated with this condition. Rather, Ul's impact is primarily on the health status and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of women. Generic measures of HRQOL inadequately address the impact of the condition on the day-to-day lives of women with UI. The current paper presents data on two new condition-specific instruments designed to assess the HRQOL of UI in women: the Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI) and the Incontinence Impact Questionaire (IIQ). Used in conjunction with one another, these two measures provide detailed information on how UI affects the lives of women. The measures provide data on the more traditional view of HRQOL by assessing the impact of UI on various activities, roles and emotional states (IIQ), as well as data on the less traditional but critical issue of the degree to which symptoms associated with UI are troubling to women (UDI). Data on the reliability, validity and sensitivity to change of these measures demonstrate that they are psychometrically strong. Further, they have been developed for simple, self-administration.The Continence Program for Women (CPW) Research Group is comprised of: Richard C. Bump, MD (1990–1993), Denise P. Elser, MD, J. Andrew Fantl MD, Donna K. McClish, PhD, and Jean F. Wyman, PhD, Schools of Medicine and Nursing, Virginia Commonwealth University/Medical College of Virginia, Richmond, VA; Richard C. Bump MD (1993-present) and James P. Theofrastous, MD, School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC; and Curt D. Furberg, MD, PhD, Samuel S. Lentz, MD, Timothy M. Morgan, PhD, Deirdre Robinson, MD, and Sally A. Shumaker, PhD, The Bowman Gray School of Medicine of the Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.     

Health-related quality of life as a predictor of mortality among community-dwelling older persons

Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) measures predict cause-specific mortality, but few studies have explored whether generic self-reported HRQOL measures are independently associated with mortality in community-dwelling older persons. We postulated that a general measure of HRQOL, the short form 36-item questionnaire (SF-36), would be independently predictive of mortality among community-dwelling older persons. To evaluate this hypothesis, we followed a fixed cohort of 4,424 community-dwelling older persons recruited from a 2000 population-based survey in Taiwan until 2003 and investigated whether HRQOL was predictive of 3-year mortality, even after adjusting for traditional clinical risk variables. The data were collected via a door-to-door survey, and interviewers collected information on the subjects’ demographics, medical history, utilization of health services, functional ability, falls, and self-reported physical and mental symptoms. Of the 6053 eligible subjects, 4,424 residents agreed to participate in the baseline survey and were contacted in 2003. During the 3-year period, the 3-year cumulative mortality rate for the study population was 5%. Mortality was significantly higher among males (5.57% vs. 4.27%, p = 0.049), and cumulative mortality increased with age (χ ²-test for trend; χ ² = 7.734, p = 0.001). For all scales except bodily pain, there was a significant relationship between a 10-point lower baseline score and mortality. Our primary multivariate risk model, which included two summary measures of HRQOL and significant clinical variables, demonstrated that a 10-point decrease in either the baseline Physical Component Summary (PCS) score or the baseline Mental Component Summary (MCS) score was associated with higher mortality (PCS: RR: 1.60, 95% CI: 1.39–1.83; p < 0.001; MCS: RR: 1.16, 95% CI: 1.01–1.34; p = 0.036). The findings suggested that low baseline PCS and MCS scores were important independent risk factors for 3-year mortality among community-dwelling older persons, even after adjusting for other risk factors.     

Health-related quality of life of mothers of children with leukemia in Japan

Objective: The study compared the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of Japanese mothers of children with leukemia to that of mothers of children without leukemia. Method: We used the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short-Form (SF-36) to measure the HRQOL of 97 mothers of children (average age 6.2, range 0–14) with leukemia diagnosed between 1999 and 2000, and compared their scores to those of 240 mothers of children without leukemia matched to the children with leukemia. Main results: Of the eight unadjusted domain scores of the SF-36, five were significantly low among mothers of children with leukemia compared to mothers of children without leukemia: role-physical functioning (RP), general health perception (GH), vitality (VT), social functioning (SF) and mental health (MH). Their SF-36 domain scores, when adjusted for demographic and clinical factors were also significantly low in RP, GH, VT, SF, RE and MH. The MH and SF scores in mothers of children with leukemia requiring hospital care were, respectively, approximately 20 points (1 standard deviation (SD), p < 0.0001) and 30 points (1.5 SD, p < 0.0001) lower than that of mothers of children without leukemia. Conclusion: Mothers of children with leukemia requiring hospital care have poor HRQOL, particularly with regard to mental health and social functioning, and are at a greater risk for depression. These results suggest that the current system for treating leukemic diseases of children in Japan should also include close monitoring of mothers mental health, and provision of appropriate treatment and psycho-social support.     

Changes in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in a population-based sample of children and adolescents after 3 years of follow-up

Objectives  To assess changes in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in children and adolescents over a 3-year period and to examine factors associated with change. Methods  A representative sample of Spanish children and adolescents aged 8–18 years and their parents completed the KIDSCREEN-52 questionnaire at baseline and again after 3 years. Data were also collected on gender, pubertal development (PD), and family socio-economic status (SES). Change in HRQOL over time was evaluated using effect sizes (ES). Generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used to analyze associations among changes in KIDSCREEN scores, socio-demographic factors, and pubertal development. Results  Response rate at follow-up was 54% (n = 454). Overall, HRQoL worsened in eight out of the ten KIDSCREEN dimensions, with ES ranging from −0.10 (Moods and Emotions) to −0.34 (Psychological Well-being). The decrease was most marked in the intermediate age group (13–17 years of age at follow-up) and in girls. In the GEE models, pubertal development more strongly impacted changes in girls than in boys. Conclusions  In this representative, population-based sample of children and adolescents, moderate decrements in HRQoL were observed after 3 years. Changes were particularly important among girls and in relation to pubertal development. These results could provide useful reference data for other longitudinal studies in population sub-groups.     

Health-related quality of life in patients after lumbar disc surgery: a longitudinal observational study

Objectives Objectives of this study are (1) to compare health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients after lumbar disc surgery with reference data from the German general population; (2) to examine whether changes in HRQOL occur over time; (3) to investigate associations between HRQOL and socio-demographic and health-related factors. Methods The study sample consisted at baseline of 189 patients who underwent lumbar disc surgery. Baseline assessment was carried out 1–4 days after surgery, the first follow-up 2 months, the second follow-up 6 months after surgery. HRQOL was assessed by means of the WHOQOL-BREF. Results During follow-up, patients showed significant improvement in “physical well being” and “overall quality of life.” However, it did not reach the level of the general population at any assessment point. There was also a slight improvement of “psychological well being.” The domains “social relationships” and “environment” remained unchanged and showed persistently higher scores than the general population. Cohabitating was positively associated with QoL. Negatively associated were unemployment, part-time employment, desire for early retirement, higher intensity of pain and depression. Conclusion Supplementing physical rehabilitation by psychosocial interventions may help improve patients’ HRQOL.     

Health-related quality of life in women and men one year after acute myocardial infarction

The purpose of the present study was, first, to detect possible changes in health-related quality of life (HRQL) over time and, second, to predict HRQL at 1year based on measures made 1 week and 5 months after a first-time acute myocardial infarction. There was an improvement in HRQL at 1year, as measured by the questionnaire 36-item Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form (SF-36), for both men and women as compared with the assessment 5 months after the acute myocardial infarction. However, the pattern was somewhat different for women and men. Women mainly reported increased scores on scales reflecting better mental health, whereas men, on the whole, demonstrated higher scores in the physical health domain. Depression (HAD) and fatigue were identified as early predictors of lower HRQL at the 1-year follow-up. Our conclusion is that early assessment of fatigue and depression is worthwhile, as they may indicate decreased HRQL in men and women 1year after first-time myocardial infarction.     

Health-related quality of life of day-case surgery patients: a pre/posttest survey using the EuroQoL-5D

Aim This paper describes and compares the perceived health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of day-case surgery patients before and after their procedures and examines some associated patient-related factors. Method A pre/posttest survey design was employed to collect data from Finnish adult day-case surgery patients using participant-completed EuroQoL 5-Dimensional Classification Component Scores (EQ-5D) questionnaires given 2 weeks presurgery (n = 131) and 2 weeks postsurgery (n = 131) in 2004. Results No noticeable change after minor surgery was found using the EQ-5D. Using the EQ-5D index, patients perceived their HRQoL as high before and after surgery. Almost one fifth (17%) reported no pain or discomfort before the procedure compared with 40% after it. As measured by the EuroQol visual analogue scale (EQ_VAS), those patients who reported chronic illness before the operation had a lower perception of their HRQoL compared with those who did not. It was also found that self-care and usual activities were more disturbed after surgery. Conclusions Although there were increases and decreases within items of the EQ-5D, overall, there was no improvement on EQ-5D scores. More research is needed to explore the sensitivity and responsiveness of the EQ-5D measure in day-case surgery patients.     

Health-related quality of life changes among users of depot medroxyprogesterone acetate for contraception

Background

Depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) may have other noncontraceptive effects that could impact on the quality of life. The objective of this study was to assess the health-related quality of life changes associated with the use of DMPA for contraception.

Study Design

A prospective, observational study using the Short Form-36 quality of life questionnaire.

Results

After 6 months of use, the participants had an improved physical summary score, mean change [5.64 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.87–9.4), p=.054]. There was no significant change in sexual function [5.33 (95% CI, −2.15 to 12.81), p=.0858] and mental summary score [−0.51 (95% CI, −1.90 to 2.92), p=.432]. The main side effect of DMPA was menstrual irregularity (32.5%); 17.2% of the participants found amenorrhea desirable.

Conclusion

Besides its contraceptive efficacy, DMPA is associated with an improvement in perceived physical health with no apparent adverse effect on mental health and sexual function.     

Health-related quality of life in women with polycystic ovary syndrome, a self-administered questionnaire, was validated

OBJECTIVE: We examined the measurement properties of a questionnaire (PCOSQ) measuring health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in women with the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). STUDY DESIGN: This multicenter prospective randomized placebo-controlled blinded study enrolled 393 patients with PCOS at tertiary care sites. Participants were randomized to placebo or troglitazone (150 mg/d, 300 mg/d, or 600 mg/d). At baseline (n=393) and after 44 weeks of treatment (n=284) the proportion of normal menstrual cycles, the free testosterone (T) level, four objective measures of facial hair growth (hair density and hair growth rate by photography, and hair diameter and hair growth rate using plucked hairs), and a subjective assessment of the degree of hirsutism, the modified Ferriman-Gallwey (F-G) score, were determined. At both visits, patients also completed the PCOSQ. Since the trial was conducted, troglitazone has been removed from the market because of toxic effects. The PCOSQ includes 26 questions (items) that address five areas of concern (domains), including emotions, body hair, body weight, fertility, and menstruation rated on a seven-point scales in which lower scores denote higher degrees of patient concern and a lower HRQOL. RESULTS: Cronbach's alpha was >0.7 for four of five domains. Factor analysis provided moderate to strong support for the five-domain structure of the PCOSQ. Cross-sectional correlations were weak with all measures but the F-G score and hair growth (r=-.46, P < .01). The change in the F-G score showed a statistically significant (P < .01) correlation with changes in PCOSQ hair growth (r=-.22), weight (r=-.17), infertility (r=-.20), and menstruation (r=-.20). Changes in the proportion of normal menstrual cycles correlated with change in the infertility domain (r=.14, P < .03) and with the change in the menstruation domain (r=.31, P < .001). The PCOSQ proved as responsive as the F-G, and more responsive than the objective measures of hair growth, to effects of troglitazone. CONCLUSIONS: Our data provides some support for the discriminative and longitudinal validity, and appreciable support for the responsiveness, of the PCOSQ.     

Health-related quality of life among Mexican Americans living in colonias at the Texas-Mexico border

Understanding influences on health-related quality of life (HRQL) is critical in order to track and improve the health of poor, vulnerable populations and reduce health disparities. However, studies assessing HRQL of minorities are relatively scarce. The purpose of this study was to document personal and socioenvironmental correlates to HRQL. The study population is Mexican Americans in the Texas-Mexico border region living in colonias - unincorporated, impoverished settlements with substandard living conditions along the U.S.-Mexico border. Mexican Americans living in colonias are one of the most disadvantaged, hard-to-reach minority groups in the United States. We used data from the Integrated Health Outreach System Project collected in 2002 and 2003. Our sample included 386 participants randomly selected and interviewed face-to-face with a structured survey. We measured HRQL and examined personal and socioenvironmental correlates. Unadjusted and adjusted (multivariate) logistic regression models were used for data analyses. We found that border Mexican Americans living in colonias were of similar mental health status compared to the general population of the United States, but worse off in terms of physical health. Poor education and long-term residency in colonias were predictors of lower physical health. Women reported worse mental health than men. Length of time living in a colonia, co-morbidity status, and perceived problems with access to healthcare was associated with poorer mental health status. This study provides information for health professionals and policymakers and underscores the need to provide better preventive and medical services for underserved populations. Major findings indicate the need for additional research centered on further exploration of the impact of economic, cultural, and social influences on HRQL among severely disadvantaged populations.     

Health-related quality of life: gender differences in childhood and adolescence

Summary. Objectives: To assess whether gender and age differences can be found in different aspects of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of children and adolescents, and to what extent these results correspond to theoretical and empirical findings from developmental psychology. Methods: A newly developed HRQOL questionnaire was completed by 3 710 youths aged nine to 17 years in seven European countries. The “Kidscreen 52” questionnaire consists of 10 scales operationalising aspects of the physical, psychological and social dimensions of HRQOL. With the use of ANOVA and effect sizes, the influence of age and gender on aspects of HRQOL is reported. Results: Children report a very good quality of life largely independent of gender. After 12 years, HRQOL decreases in the majority of aspects. In the physical and psychological dimensions, a stronger decrease is found for females than for males. Conclusions: Children have higher HRQOL than adolescents in many aspects. With increasing age, HRQOL is frequently worse for females than for males. Examination of the individual aspects leads to a differentiation of the results with relevance for public health.

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Zusammenfassung. Gesundheitsbezogene Lebensqualit?t: Geschlechtsunterschiede in Kindheit und Jugend Fragestellung: Die Studie geht der Frage nach, in welchen Aspekten der gesundheitsbezogenen Lebensqualit?t (HRQOL) von Kindern und Jugendlichen Geschlechts- und Altersunterschiede zu finden sind und wie weit sie damit theoretischen und empirischen entwicklungspsychologischen Erkenntnissen entsprechen. Methode: Ein neu entwickelter HRQOL-Fragebogen wurde von 3 710 Kindern und Jugendlichen von neun bis 17 Jahren aus sieben europ?ischen L?ndern beantwortet. Der “Kidscreen 52”-Fragebogen besteht aus 10 Skalen, welche Aspekte der physischen, psychischen und sozialen Dimensionen der HRQOL operationalisieren. Der Einfluss von Alter und Geschlecht auf die verschiedenen HRQOL-Aspekte wird mit Hilfe von ANOVA und Effektst?rken detailliert berichtet. Ergebnisse: Kinder bis zum Alter von etwa 12 Jahren berichten weitgehend unabh?ngig vom Geschlecht über eine sehr gute Lebensqualit?t. Danach sinkt die Lebensqualit?t in der Mehrheit ihrer Aspekte. In der k?rperlichen und psychischen Dimension ist für die weiblichen Jugendlichen eine st?rkere Abnahme zu beobachten als für die m?nnlichen Jugendlichen, was bei den ?lteren Jugendlichen zu einem bedeutend weniger guten Befinden der jungen Frauen führt. Schlussfolgerung: Die HRQOL von Kindern ist in vielen Aspekten h?her als jene der Jugendlichen, mit zunehmendem Alter ist die HRQOL von weiblichen Jugendlichen h?ufig weniger gut als jene der m?nnlichen Jugendlichen. Eine Betrachtung der einzelnen Aspekte führt zu einer Differenzierung der Ergebnisse mit konkreter Relevanz für Public Health.

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Résumé. Qualité de vie en lien avec la santé: différences entre les sexes chez les enfants et les adolescents Objectifs: Analyser l’effet du genre et de l’age sur différents aspects de la qualité de vie en lien avec la santé (HRQOL). Voir dans quelle mesure ces résultats correspondent à des connaissances théoriques et empiriques issues de la psychologie développementale. Méthodes: 3 710 enfants et adolescents de neuf à 17 ans de sept pays européens ont répondu à un questionnaire indiquant la HRQOL. Cet instrument, ?Kidscreen 52?, se compose de 10 échelles qui mesurent des aspects des dimensions physiques, psychiques et sociales de la HRQOL. L’influence de l’age et du sexe sur les différents aspects de HRQOL est analysée à l’aide de ANOVA. Résultats: Les enfants rapportent une qualité de vie très bonne jusqu’à l’age de 12 ans environ, indépendamment du sexe. Ensuite la qualité de vie baisse. En ce qui concerne les aspects physiques et psychiques, une diminution plus forte est observée chez les jeunes femmes que chez les jeunes hommes. La qualité de vie est ensuite nettement moins bonne chez les jeunes femmes plus agées. Conclusion: La HRQOL des enfants est globalement meilleure que celle des adolescents. Avec l’age, la HRQOL est fréquemment moins bonne pour les jeunes femmes que pour les jeunes hommes. Il faut tenir compte de ces différents aspects pour des actions de santé publique.

     

Content comparison of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) instruments based on the international classification of functioning,disability and health (ICF)

The increasing recognition of the patient perspective and, more specifically, functioning and health, has led to an impressive effort in research to develop concepts and instruments to measure them. Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) and the International Classification of Functioning Disability and Health (ICF) represent two different perspectives from which to look at functioning and health. Therefore, it is expected that both will often be used concurrently in clinical practice, research and health reporting. The objective of our study was to examine the relationship between six HRQOL instruments (the SF-36, the NHP, the QL-I, the WHOQOL-BREF, the WHODASII and the EQ-5D) and the ICF. All six HRQOL instruments were linked to the ICF separately by two trained health professionals according to ten linking rules developed specifically for this purpose. The degree of agreement between health professionals was calculated by means of the kappa statistic. Bootstrapped confidence intervals were calculated. In the 148 items of the 6 instruments a total of 226 concepts were identified and linked to the ICF. The estimated kappa coefficients range between 0.82 and 0.98. The concepts contained in the items of the HRQOL instruments were linked to 91 different ICF categories, 17 categories of the component body functions, 60 categories of the component activities and participation, and 14 categories of the component environmental factors. Twelve concepts could not be linked to the ICF at all. In the component body functions, only emotional functions are covered by all examined instruments. In the component activities and participation, all instruments cover aspects of work, but the half of them scarcely cover aspects of mobility. Only four of the six instruments address environmental factors. The ICF proved highly useful for the comparison of HRQOL instruments. The comparison of selected HRQOL instruments may provide clinicians and researchers with new insights when selecting health-status measures for clinical studies.     

Health-related quality of life among adults with serious psychological distress and chronic medical conditions

Objective Determine the prevalence of serious psychological distress (SPD) among adults with and without chronic medical conditions and examine the association between SPD and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Methods Cross-sectional data from the 2005 Los Angeles County Health Survey were used to estimate prevalence of SPD. The association between SPD and HRQOL was evaluated using logistic regression and analysis of covariance, adjusting for sociodemographic variables and number of chronic conditions. Results SPD was significantly associated with younger age, lower income, being unemployed or disabled, being unmarried, fair or poor health, and having one or more chronic conditions. Adults with three or more chronic conditions were six times as likely to have SPD as those with no conditions. Adults with SPD reported significantly more unhealthy days (mental and physical) and activity limitation days than adults without SPD. The adjusted mean number of unhealthy days was highest among adults with SPD (23.3), followed by adults with depression (14.1), and diabetes (10.6). Conclusions SPD is associated with decreased HRQOL and presence of chronic medical conditions. Mental health should be routinely assessed when addressing health needs of individuals and communities. Persons with chronic diseases may benefit from targeted mental health screening and programs that employ treatment approaches that jointly manage physical and mental health and provide improved links and access to services.     

Health-related quality of life and health utility for the institutional elderly in Taiwan

Objective: To explore the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and health utility in an institutional elderly population. Methods: Four hundred sixty-five elderly persons living in long-term care institutions in Taiwan were interviewed using Taiwans abbreviated version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF), rating scale (RS) and the Time-Trade-Off (TTO) utility measurement. Results: The WHOQOL-BREF showed acceptable internal consistency ( range: 0.75–0.80 across domains) and validity. The sexual activity facet had the lowest response rate. Educational level, number of chronic diseases, physical performance, and number of caregivers had significant (p < 0.05) impacts on the domain scores of the WHOQOL-BREF. Physical performance had the strongest impact on the physical domain (R²=0.40) and accounted for significant percentages of the variance on the other three domains (R²=0.06–0.13). The mean RS score (score 0–100) was 61.3 ± 16.2 (mean ± SD). The mean TTO utility (score 0–1) was 0.92 ± 0.22. Conclusions: Results indicate that the WHOQOL-BREF, excepting the sexual activity item, is useful for evaluating HRQOL of conscious elderly in institutions. The validity of TTO utility for studying the institutionalized elderly needs further evaluation.     

空巢老年人健康相关生存质量及空巢社会因素研究

目的 分析≥60岁空巢老年人健康相关生存质量现状及空巢相关社会因素,为制定健康老龄化相关策略和措施提供依据.方法 采用整群抽样方法 选取浙江省部分地区城乡≥60岁老年人4995名.采用逐步logistic回归进行空巢社会因素的多因素分析.用多元线性回归模型在校正混杂因素后,比较空巢和非空巢老年人的健康相关生存质量.结果 逐步logistic回归分析显示,与非空巢老年人相比较,空巢老年人年龄多集中在70～79岁(P=0.0417),文化程度高(P＜0.0001),以及居住于农村(P＜0.0001)和低收入者(P=0.0178,P=0.0049)趋向于空巢的概率较大.空巢老年人较非空巢者对生活的满意度较高(P=0.0070,P=0.0035),情绪状态较好(P=0.0371).多元线性回归在校正了年龄、性别、婚姻状况、文化程度、居住地、个人年收入以及生活满意度评分和情绪评分等因素后,结果 显示空巢老年人在生理领域中的躯体疼痛(P=0.0032)维度,心理领域的情感所致功能限制(P=0.0033)维度以及心理领域(P=0.0342)的得分较非空巢老年人低.结论 空巢老年人的健康相关生存质量低于非空巢者,尤其体现在心理功能方面.空巢老年人具有高文化程度、低收入以及居住于农村等特征,是实施健康老龄化需要重点关注的对象.