Health-related quality of life of Palestinian preschoolers in the Gaza Strip: a cross-sectional study

Background  

Research on children's responses to wartime trauma has mostly addressed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). However, PTSD is only one aspect of a complex set of responses. This study proposes to expand knowledge of well-being in children exposed to political violence through widening the conceptualization of well-being beyond PTSD, morbidity, and mortality by measuring health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and its facets, physical health, and psychosocial health.     

Factors associated with quality of life in systemic sclerosis: a cross-sectional study

Quality of Life Research - Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a connective tissue disease characterized by progressive fibrosis of the skin and internal organs, leading to their failure and disturbances...     

Health-related quality of life and migration: A cross-sectional study on elderly Iranians in Sweden

Background  

Although elderly Iranian immigrants in Sweden are the largest elderly group born outside Europe, little is known about their health-related quality of life (HRQL). The aim of this study was to examine the association between migration status and HRQL in a comparison of elderly Iranians in Iran, elderly Iranian immigrants in Sweden, and elderly Swedes in Sweden.     

Health-related quality of life associated with systemic corticosteroids

Quality of Life Research - Systemic corticosteroids (SCS) are commonly used but are associated with adverse effects. Given their prevalent use, the potential impact of SCS use on health-related...     

Health-related quality of life and healthcare utilization in multimorbidity: results of a cross-sectional survey

Purpose

We assessed the associations between multimorbidity and health-related quality of life (HRQL), and healthcare utilization, based on 16 common self-reported chronic conditions.

Methods

A cross-sectional questionnaire survey including the EQ-5D was conducted in a sample of the general population of adults (≥18 years) living in Alberta, Canada. Multiple linear and logistic regressions were used to assess the association between multiple chronic conditions and HRQL, hospitalization and emergency department (ED) use.

Results

A total of 4,946 respondents reported their HRQL, noting problems mostly with pain or discomfort (48.0 %). All chronic conditions were associated with a clinically important reduction in HRQL, the highest burden with anxiety or depression (?0.19, 95 % CI ?0.21, ?0.16) and chronic pain (?0.19, 95 % CI ?0.21, ?0.17). Multimorbidity was associated with a clinically important reduction in the EQ-5D index score (?0.12, 95 % CI ?0.14, ?0.11) and twice the likelihood of being hospitalized (OR = 2.2, 95 % CI 1.7, 2.9) or having an ED visit (OR = 1.8, 95 % CI 1.4, 2.2).

Conclusions

Pain or discomfort is a common problem in people living with chronic conditions, and the existence of multimorbidity in these individuals is associated with a reduction in the HRQL as well as frequent hospitalization and emergency department visits.     

Health-related quality of life in patients with knee osteoarthritis attending two primary care clinics in Malaysia: a cross-sectional study

Objective

To ascertain the issues all general practice educators need to understand when educating GP registrars to learn about research.

Study Design

A review of MEDLINE [1996–2007], six websites and key informants produced 302 publications, which reduced to 35 articles, 7 books, and 9 policy documents.

Results

Key themes that emerged from a thematic analysis of the literature that GP educators need to consider when teaching registrars about research were [i] the need to understand that learning research is influenced by attitudes; [ii] the need to address organisational constraints on learning research; [iii] the need to identify the educational barriers on learning research; [iv] the need to understand there are gaps in GP research content – especially from GP registrars; And [v] the need to understand the value of research on the GP registrar's educational cycle of learning, which develops in a culture that allows research to flourish.

Conclusion

Australian GP registrars will observe a research culture only if they encounter clinician-researchers paid to practice and conduct research in their general practice.     

Health-related quality of life assessment among people living with HIV in Rio de Janeiro,Brazil: a cross-sectional study

Quality of Life Research - To assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and its associated factors among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A cross-sectional study...     

Health-related quality of life in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: an Australian cross-sectional study

Quality of Life Research - Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a serious and debilitating disorder associated with significant disruptions in daily life including. This...     

Factors associated with quality of life among married women in rural China: a cross-sectional study

Purpose

Specific medical and living conditions in rural China may predispose people there to a poor quality of life. This study aimed to evaluate factors affecting the quality of life among married women in rural China.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted in rural areas of Liaoning Province in China. Out of the 3900 married women, 3163 (81%) completed the questionnaire survey. Quality of life was assessed using the WHOQOL-BREF scale. Sociodemographic factors, such as monthly income, and living and health conditions, such as left-behind status, stress (quantified by the Perceived Stress Scale), and coping styles (assessed by the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire) were collected through self-reported questionnaires. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to explore the factors related to quality of life.

Results

The mean scores of quality of life were 14.08?±?2.27 for the domain of physical health, 11.78?±?2.28 for psychological health, 13.07?±?2.69 for social relationships, and 12.26?±?2.67 for environmental conditions. Older age, having chronic diseases, being left-behind, sense of marriage insecurity, and stress were all negatively associated with quality of life scores, whereas a higher monthly income was associated with higher scores. Coping styles could be moderating factors in the relationship between stress and quality of life.

Conclusions

Overall, married women living in rural China had relatively low scores for quality of life. Improving family income, providing access to affordable and high-quality medical care, facilitating couple communication, and promoting active coping styles could be intervention strategies to improve the quality of life of these rural residents.

     

Health-related quality of life, depression, and self-esteem in adolescents with leprosy-affected parents: results of a cross-sectional study in Nepal

Background

Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease that has an impact on the Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) of sufferers as well as their children. To date, no study has investigated the effects of parental leprosy on the well-being of adolescent children.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Lalitpur and Kathmandu districts of Nepal. Adolescents with leprosy-affected parents (n?=?102; aged 11–17 years) and those with parents unaffected by leprosy (n?=?115; 11–17 years) were investigated. Self-reported data from adolescents were collected using the Kinder Lebensqualität Fragebogen (KINDL^R) questionnaire to assess HRQOL, the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D), and the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (RSES). Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to compare scores between the two groups. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to explore the determinants of HRQOL for adolescents with leprosy-affected parents.

Results

ANCOVA revealed that the KINDL^R and RSES scores were significantly lower among adolescents with leprosy-affected parents compared with unaffected parents. However, the scores of “Friends” and “School” subscales of KINDL^R were similar between the two groups. The CES-D score was significantly higher among adolescents with leprosy-affected parents than for adolescents with unaffected parents. The KINDL^R scores for adolescents with both parents affected (n?=?41) were significantly lower than the scores for those with one parent affected (n?=?61). Multiple regression analysis revealed that adolescents with leprosy-affected parents who had higher levels of depressive symptoms were more likely to have lower KINDL^R scores. A similar result was seen for adolescents where both parents had leprosy.

Conclusions

Adolescents with leprosy-affected parents had higher levels of depressive symptoms, lower levels of self-esteem, and lower HRQOL compared with adolescents whose parents were unaffected by leprosy. Thus, mental health support programs might be necessary for adolescents with leprosy-affected parents, particularly for adolescents where both parents are leprosy-affected. Further studies with larger sample sizes are necessary to draw decisive conclusions.     

Health-related quality of life in Iranian women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a qualitative study

Background

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is associated with a range of challenging symptoms which impact patient’s lives. Iranian women with PCOS are likely to face a number of unique difficulties given particular societal and cultural norms for women. Understanding health-related quality of life (HRQoL) from a patients’perspective is critical to developing the appropriate support interventions. The present study aimed to generate an in-depthunderstanding of HRQoL Iranian women with PCOS.

Methods

Twenty Iranian women were interviewed and data was subjected to thematic analysis.

Results

Women reported substantial effects of PCOS on their quality of life, Themes generated from the data related to sexual - physical problems (An unsexualised self: loss, change and pain; and Being pained and painful); exposure and nvasion: the rejecting and invading social world (Concealing and Avoiding and Public property: public scrutiny), diminished self and diminished life (Infertile as inferior and Exhausted mind andbody) respectively.

Conclusion

PCOS is a physical - sexual, psychological and social syndrome; therefore, it is necessary to taking a more holistic approach to patient care beyond treating physical symptoms.

     

Health-related quality of life and related factors among chronically homeless adults living in different permanent supportive housing models: a cross-sectional study

Quality of Life Research - Permanent supportive housing (PSH) is an effective intervention to improve residential stability and reduce the utilization of costlier healthcare services for the...     

Health-related quality of life in young cocaine users and associated factors

AIM: To analyse drug consumption patterns and demographic and medical factors associated with health-related quality of life (HRQL) in a nonclinical sample of regular cocaine consumers. METHODS: Face-to-face interviews with 687 young regular cocaine users (aged 18-30 years) in three Spanish cities: Barcelona, Madrid and Seville. HRQL was measured using the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP), and degree of dependence through the Severity of Dependence Scale (SDS). Bivariate analyses were conducted using nonparametric techniques, and a Tobit regression analysis was carried out to determine which variables best explained HRQL. RESULTS: Most participants showed a good HRQL, but differences in HRQL were found for sociodemographic (gender), medical (days stayed in bed during the previous 12 months) and consumption-pattern related variables (length of drug use, intravenous drug use, crack use, SDS). In multivariate analyses cocaine dependence measured by SDS explained the greatest amount of HRQL variation. Although women declared worse HRQL (13.6 versus 9.7, P < 0.01), in the final model with interactions no gender differences were observed, except that HRQL for women worsened with the number of days they had stayed in bed in the previous 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: Even in early phases of dependence, deterioration in HRQL is observed, mainly related to drug-use history and patterns.     

Factors associated with poor-to-moderate quality of life among pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus: a cross-sectional study in Malaysia

Quality of Life Research - This study aimed to identify factors associated with poor-to-moderate quality of life (QOL) among women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) in two tertiary hospitals...     

Oral health-related quality of life of patients after heart transplantation and those with heart failure is associated with general health-related quality of life: a cross-sectional study

Quality of Life Research - The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in patients after heart transplantation (HTx) and those with heart...     

Health-related quality of life and related factors among elderly persons under different aged care models in Guangzhou,China: a cross-sectional study

Quality of Life Research - To analyze health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and related factors among elderly persons receiving community-based home care and institutional care in Guangzhou, a...     

Health-related quality of life changes associated with buprenorphine treatment for opioid dependence

Background

Few studies have described improvement in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) associated with opioid dependence treatment with buprenorphine (ODT-B).

Objective

To evaluate HRQOL changes in domain scores, physical and mental component summaries, and health utilities (HUs) associated with ODT-B using the Short Form 36 (SF-36).

Methods

We assessed HRQOL changes in a substudy of a pharmacokinetic study that compared buprenorphine oral tablet and liquid dosage formulations over 16?weeks. Individuals, aged 18?C65?years, were screened for opioid dependence. They were excluded if they would not agree to birth control or had a serious medical condition. Subjects received psychosocial counseling and weekly group therapy. The SF-36 was administered upon enrollment and at 4-week intervals. We used the SF-6D to estimate HUs. We performed intention to treat (ITT) analyses based on the last observation available for each subject. Paired t tests of each domain and HU, limited to remaining patients at each 4-week interval, were also conducted.

Results

Of 96 subjects enrolled, cumulative dropouts over time resulted in 80, 69, 59, and 44 subjects remaining at 4, 8, 12, and 16?weeks. There were no significant differences in opioid-positive urines, dropout rates, or dosage changes between formulations. In the ITT analyses, HRQOL improvements over time were bodily pain (62.1 vs. 69.1, P?=?0.017), vitality (49.8 vs. 56.5, P?=?0.001), mental health (59.9 vs. 66.0, P?=?0.001), social function (66.4 vs. 74.7, P?=?0.001), role emotional (59.4 vs. 71.9, P?=?0.003), role physical (60.9 vs. 70.6, P?=?0.005), and mental component summary (41.9 vs. 45.4, P<0.001). HU scores also improved (0.674 vs. 0.715, P?=?0.001). Results from paired t tests, with only concurrently enrolled patients, showed similar improvements from baseline to 4, 8, 12, or 16?weeks.

Conclusion

Buprenorphine, accompanied with psychosocial counseling, was associated with improved HRQOL and HUs.