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.

A Meta-analytic Review of the Psychosocial Adjustment of Youth with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Abstract: Objective To conduct a meta-analytic review of psychosocial adjustment of youth with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Methods Nineteen studies with a total of 1167 youth with IBD (M age = 14.33, 50% female) were included. Effect size (ES) estimates were calculated for anxiety symptoms & disorders, depressive symptoms & disorders, internalizing symptoms & disorders, externalizing symptoms, quality of life (QOL), social functioning, and self-esteem. Separate ESs were calculated for comparisons between IBD and youth with chronic illnesses versus healthy youth. Results Youth with IBD had higher rates of depressive disorders and internalizing disorders than youth with other chronic conditions. Youth with IBD had higher parent-reported internalizing symptoms, lower parent- and youth-reported QOL, and lower youth-reported social functioning compared to healthy youth. Conclusions Clinical attention to depressive disorders, QOL, and social functioning may be particularly salient in the context of pediatric IBD.

Psychological distress in head and neck cancer patients 7-11 years after curative treatment.

Abstract: Long-term survivors of head and neck cancer may suffer from psychological distress and reduced quality of life because of late side-effects of the treatment. In a follow-up study of patients randomised to two different radiation fractionating regimens, 204 patients filled in a mailed questionnaire 7-11 years after treatment. The questionnaire consisted of the General Health Questionnaire, 20-item version (GHQ-20), and the EORTC Core Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30). There were no differences in psychological distress between patients receiving conventional radiotherapy and those receiving a slightly hypofractionated regimen. A high prevalence of psychological distress was found in both treatment groups (30% of 'cases' according to the GHQ-20), especially in patients with impaired cognitive or social function, or with pain. Clinicians need to be aware of this morbidity, and their ability to detect patients with psychological problems needs to be improved. The GHQ-20 can facilitate the communication process in a clinical setting. With an increased awareness of these problems and by using valid instruments for identification of patients at risk, the clinicians may intervene and help the patients to reduce their psychological distress.

Impact of surgery and chemotherapy on the quality of life of younger women with breast carcinoma: a prospective study

Abstract: BACKGROUND Studies that prospectively and simultaneously evaluate, within the first year of diagnosis, the impact of surgery and chemotherapy on quality of life (QOL) of younger women (60 years or younger) with early stage breast carcinoma are limited. METHODS Quality of life of 103 women who had surgery (lumpectomy, 49; mastectomy, 54) approximately 1 month before the start of the study was evaluated at baseline and again after 5 months. Thirty-two women received chemotherapy during the study. RESULTS Over time, subjects reported improvement in body image and physical, emotional, and functional well-being (P < 0.001). They were less bothered by swollen/tender arms and worried less about risk of cancer to family members (P < 0.001). However, satisfaction with sex life, social support, and social/family well-being declined (P < 0.001). In the period closer to surgery, women with mastectomy reported poorer body image (P = 0.001) and worse functional (P = 0.08) and physical well-being (P = 0.10). Women with lumpectomy worried more about the effects of stress on their illness (P < 0.01) and had lower emotional well-being (P = 0.06). By 6 months after surgery, the two groups reported similar QOL scores. Chemotherapy had a negative impact on women's sexual functioning (P = 0.01) and their physical well-being (P = 0.09). Women who received chemotherapy also reported more shortness of breath (P = 0.07). Post hoc analysis showed that women with breast reconstruction had higher emotional well-being at baseline than those with lumpectomy (P = 0.001) and mastectomy alone (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Younger women with breast carcinoma could experience a range of adjustment problems at various points in the treatment cycle. Interventions that would help reduce the negative impact of treatment on QOL need to be designed and integrated into routine clinical practice. Cancer 2001;92:1288–98. © 2001 American Cancer Society.

Psychological adjustment and quality of life in children and adolescents following open-heart surgery for congenital heart disease: a systematic review

Abstract: Background Children with congenital heart defects (CHD) requiring open-heart surgery are a group at high risk for health-related sequelae Little consensus exists regarding their long-term psychological adjustment (PA) and health-related quality of life (QoL) Thus, we conducted a systematic review to determine the current knowledge on long-term outcome in this population

Development of a new dyspepsia impact scale: the Nepean Dyspepsia Index.

Abstract: Background: There is not at present a suitable disease-specific health-related quality of life instrument for uninvestigated dyspepsia and functional (non-ulcer) dyspepsia Aim: To develop a new multi-dimensional disease-specific instrument Methods: The Nepean Dyspepsia Index (NDI) was designed to measure impairment of a subject’s ability to engage in relevant aspects of their life and also their enjoyment of these aspects; in addition, the individual importance of each aspect is assessed A 42-item quality of life measure was developed and tested, both in out-patients presenting to general practice with upper gastrointestinal complaints (n = 113) and in a randomly chosen population-based sample (n = 347) Results: Adequate face and content validity was documented by an expert panel Factor analysis identified four clinically relevant subscales: interference with activities of daily living, work, enjoyment of life and emotional well-being; lack of knowledge and control over the illness; disturbance to eating or drinking; and disturbance to sleep because of dyspepsia These scales had high internal consistency Both symptoms and the quality of life scores discriminated dyspepsia from health Conclusion: The Nepean Dyspepsia Index is a reliable and valid disease-specific index for dyspepsia, measuring symptoms and health-related quality of life