Quality of life

About: Quality of life is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 42912 publications have been published within this topic receiving 1198363 citations. The topic is also known as: life quality.

Quality of life after lap-band placement: influence of time, weight loss, and comorbidities.

Abstract: Objective: To assess the quality of life (QOL) in severely obese subjects before and after Lap-Band gastric restrictive surgery and identify factors that may influence change. Research Methods and Procedures: All patients, over a 3-year period, attending for preoperative assessment (n = 459) or annual review after surgery (n = 641) have completed the Short Form-36 (SF-36) health survey. Eight domain and physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) scores were calculated. Scores were analyzed in groups based on time after surgery and compared with community normal (CN) values. Paired preoperative and 1-year scores (n = 218) data were used to find predictors of QOL change. Results: All preoperative mean scores (n = 459) were lower than CN values, with greater impairment in the PCS (36.8 ± 9.5 vs. CN: 51.3 ± 8.3, p < 0.001) than in the MCS (45.7 ± 8.2 vs. CN: 48.8 ± 9.5, p < 0.001) scores. After 1 year, scores were closer to CN scores (PCS: 52.4 ± 8.2 and MCS: 48.4 ± 7.7), and these remained closer for 4 years. Preoperative obesity comorbidity, especially physical disability, was the best predictor of poor preoperative SF-36 scores and of improvement in scores at 1 year. The percentage of excess weight loss at 1 year (46 ± 16%) was of little predictive value of improved QOL. Discussion: Severely obese subjects have poor health-related QOL as measured by the SF-36 health survey. Lap-Band surgery for this group has provided a dramatic and sustained improvement in all measures of the SF-36. Improvement is greater in those with greater preoperative disability, and the extent of weight loss is not a good predictor of improved QOL.

A review of health related quality of life in systemic lupus erythematosus

Abstract: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is an important outcome measure in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). A review was undertaken of the literature relating to HRQoL in SLE. MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Allied and Complimentary Medicine were searched to locate full papers in the English language reporting on HRQoL in adult SLE patients published between 1990 and 2005. In total 53 papers were included and the review was subdivided into: 1) description of HRQoL in SLE patients; 2) HRQoL and disease activity and/or damage; 3) the impact of other variables on HRQoL; and 4) HRQoL measures used in clinical trials in SLE patients. The findings were as follows: HRQoL is reduced in SLE patients; HRQoL is not correlated to disease activity or damage; age appears to have a negative impact on HRQoL especially physical health but the effect of disease duration is unclear; other potentially modifiable variables such as fatigue and psychosocial factors impact on HRQoL in a complex manner; and HRQoL measures which are sensitive to change should be an essential outcome measure in all clinical trials on SLE patients.

Quality of life after Lap-Band placement: Influence of time, weight loss and comorbidities

Abstract: Objective: To assess the quality of life (QOL) in severely obese subjects before and after Lap-Band gastric restrictive surgery and identify factors that may influence change. Research Methods and Procedures: All patients, over a 3-year period, attending for preoperative assessment (n = 459) or annual review after surgery (n = 641) have completed the Short Form-36 (SF-36) health survey. Eight domain and physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) scores were calculated. Scores were analyzed in groups based on time after surgery and compared with community normal (CN) values. Paired preoperative and 1-year scores (n = 218) data were used to find predictors of QOL change. Results: All preoperative mean scores (n = 459) were lower than CN values, with greater impairment in the PCS (36.8 ± 9.5 vs. CN: 51.3 ± 8.3, p < 0.001) than in the MCS (45.7 ± 8.2 vs. CN: 48.8 ± 9.5, p < 0.001) scores. After 1 year, scores were closer to CN scores (PCS: 52.4 ± 8.2 and MCS: 48.4 ± 7.7), and these remained closer for 4 years. Preoperative obesity comorbidity, especially physical disability, was the best predictor of poor preoperative SF-36 scores and of improvement in scores at 1 year. The percentage of excess weight loss at 1 year (46 ± 16%) was of little predictive value of improved QOL. Discussion: Severely obese subjects have poor health-related QOL as measured by the SF-36 health survey. Lap-Band surgery for this group has provided a dramatic and sustained improvement in all measures of the SF-36. Improvement is greater in those with greater preoperative disability, and the extent of weight loss is not a good predictor of improved QOL.

Impact of obesity on health-related quality of life in patients with chronic illness.

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between over-weight and obesity and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with chronic conditions typical of those seen in general medical practice, after accounting for the effects of depression and medical comorbidities. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of data from the Medical Outcomes Study. SETTING: Offices of physicians practicing family medicine, internal medicine, endocrinology, cardiology, and psychiatry in three U.S. cities. PATIENTS: We surveyed 2,931 patients with chronic medical and psychiatric conditions. The patients completed a self-administered questionnaire at enrollment and had complete data on height and weight. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Body mass index (BMI), chronic medical conditions, and depression were obtained by structured interview. Health-related quality of life was measured by the SF-36 Health Survey. Patients who were over-weight (BMI 25.0–29.9 kg/m2), patients with class I obesity (BMI 30.0–34.9 kg/m2), and patients with class II–III obesity (BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2) had significantly lower adjusted physical function scores (by 3.4, 7.8, and 13.8 points, respectively) compared with nonoverweight patients. Patients with class I and class II–III obesity also had significantly lower adjusted general health perceptions scores (by 2.8 and 4.4 points, respectively) and lower adjusted vitality scores (by 4.0 and 7.1 points, respectively), compared with nonoverweight patients. No significant differences between nonoverweight, overweight, and obese patients were observed for the mental health scale. Women with elevated BMI had significantly lower HRQOL scores compared with the scores of obese men in several domains. Additionally, blacks with elevated BMI had significantly lower scores than whites in several domains of HRQOL. CONCLUSIONS: Overweight and obesity have the largest association with physical function measures. Recent national standards, which have lowered the threshold for defining overweight, identify patients who are more likely to have clinically significant reductions in HRQOL and functional impairment.

A Multidisciplinary Concept Analysis of Quality of Life

Abstract: The purpose of this article is to analyze how the concept of quality of life (QOL) is currently being defined and used within health care. An on-line search of the phrase QOL in Medline, Cinahl, Psyc-Info, Eric, and Social Science Abstract provided a list of 16,021 articles published between 1993 and 1998. A convenience sample of 65 research and theoretical articles from the 1990s was examined to determine current usage and definitions of the concept of QOL across disciplines. Analysis was conducted, and a definition of the concept QOL, based on the analysis, is offered.