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.

The differential mediating effects of pain and depression on the physical and mental dimension of quality of life in Hong Kong Chinese adults

Abstract: The impact of pain and depression on health-related quality of life (QoL) is widely investigated, yet the pain-depression interactions on QoL remain unclear. This study aims to examine the pain-depression-QoL mediation link. Pain severity were assessed in a sample of Chinese professional teachers (n = 385). The subjects were also assessed on depressive symptoms and QoL. Regression models were fitted to evaluate the pain-depression-QoL relationships. About 44% of the sample had 3-5 painful areas in the past 3 months. Shoulder pain (60%) and headache (53%) were common painful areas. The results of regression analyses showed that pain mediated the effects of depression on the mental aspect of QoL (standardized β = -0.111; Sobel test: z = -3.124, p < 0.005) whereas depression mediated the effects of pain on the physical aspect of QoL (standardized β = -0.026; Sobel test: z = -4.045, p < 0.001). Our study offered tentative evidence that pain and depression impacted differently on the mental and physical aspect of QoL. As these findings were based on a Chinese teacher sample, future studies should employ more representative samples across cultures to verify the present data.

Quality of life in patients with breast cancer before and after diagnosis: an eighteen months follow-up study

Abstract: Measuring quality of life in breast cancer patients is of importance in assessing treatment outcomes. This study examined the impact of breast cancer diagnosis and its treatment on quality of life of women with breast cancer. This was a prospective study of quality of life in breast cancer patients. Quality of life was measured using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) and its breast cancer supplementary measure (QLQ-BR23) at three points in time: baseline (pre diagnosis), three months after initial treatment and one year after completion of treatment (in all 18 months follow-up). At baseline the questionnaires were administered to all suspected identified patients while both patients and the interviewer were blind to the final diagnosis. Socio-demographic and clinical data included: age, education, marital status, disease stage and initial treatment. Repeated measure analysis was performed to compare quality of life differences over the time. In all, 167 patients diagnosed with breast cancer. The mean age of breast cancer patients was 47.2 (SD = 13.5) years and the vast majority (82.6%) underwent mastectomy. At eighteen months follow-up data for 99 patients were available for analysis. The results showed there were significant differences in patients' functioning and global quality of life at three points in time (P < 0.001). Although there were deteriorations in patients' scores for body image and sexual functioning, there were significant improvements for breast symptoms, systematic therapy side effects and patients' future perspective (P < 0.05). The findings suggest that overall breast cancer patients perceived benefit from their cancer treatment in long-term. However, patients reported problems with global quality of life, pain, arm symptoms and body image even after 18 months following their treatments. In addition, most of the functional scores did not improve.

Evaluación de la calidad de vida

Abstract: Velarde-Jurado E, Avila-Figueroa C. Methods for quality of life assessment. Salud Publica Mex 2002;44:349-361. The English version of this paper is available at: http://www.insp.mx/salud/index.html Abstract This paper reviews the methods and principles for quality of life assessment. The aging of the population and the im- proved survival of people with acute and chronic condi- tions have produced several levels of disability requiring long-term treatment and rehabilitation. In 1948 the World Health Organization defined health as not merely the ab- sence of disease but rather a state of complete physical, mental, and social well being. This term evolved from its conceptual definition to the development of scales to mea- sure the quality of life beyond physical status. Thus, quality of life assessment includes areas such as mental health, so- cial support, and life satisfaction. It is recognized that the expectations, vitality, pain, disability, and personal experien- ces influence the perception of a person's general health. A composite measurement aimed to quantify health accord- ing to physical, mental, and social well being simultaneously would likely find people at different points on the three different continua, but in the midranges of the composite. The multidimensionality problems and the level of subjec- tivity involved in the assessment of the quality of life re- quire valid and reliable instruments. This paper present an inventory of 126 questionnaires aimed to measure the quality of life for several diseases and populations. A better under- standing of the methods to assess the quality of life will allow the incorporation of these instruments in the com- prehensive assessment of patients, into clinical trials, and for health services research. The English version of this pa- per is available at: http://www.insp.mx/salud/index.html

Sex Differences in Stroke Recovery and Stroke-Specific Quality of Life Results From a Statewide Stroke Registry

Abstract: Background and Purpose— Little is known about sex differences in stroke recovery The few available studies have found that female stroke survivors are less likely to achieve independence in activities of daily living and have poorer quality of life than male survivors Methods— A total of 373 acute stroke survivors discharged from 9 hospitals participating in a statewide stroke registry were prospectively enrolled in an outcomes study Follow-up data, including the Barthel Index and Stroke-Specific Quality of Life, were obtained from the survivor or a proxy by telephone interview 90 days postdischarge The independent effects of sex on activities of daily living independence (Barthel Index ≥95) and Stroke-Specific Quality of Life scores, controlling for age, race, subtype, prestroke ambulatory status, and other patient characteristics, were determined using adjusted odds ratios and least-squares means, respectively Results— Twenty-five percent of the patients required a proxy respondent In adjusted models, females were less likely to achieve activities of daily living independence (adjusted OR: 037, 95% CI: 019 to 087) Females had lower least-squares means Stroke-Specific Quality of Life scores in Physical Function (39 versus 42, P =002), Thinking (28 versus 34, P P =003), and Energy (26 versus 30, P Conclusions— Compared with males, female stroke survivors had lower functional recovery and poorer quality of life 3 months postdischarge These differences were not explained by females’ greater age at stroke onset or other demographic or clinical characteristics