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.

Assessment of quality of life in children with peanut allergy.

Abstract: Children with a peanut allergy (PA) are faced with food and social restrictions due to the potentially life-threatening nature of their disease, for which there is no cure or treatment. This inevitably impacts upon their quality of life (QoL). QoL of 20 children with PA and 20 children with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) was measured using two disease-specific QoL questionnaires (higher scores correspond to a poorer QoL). One questionnaire was designed by us and the other was adapted from the Vespid Allergy QoL questionnaire. We gave subjects cameras to record how their QoL is affected over a 24-h period. Response rates for both questionnaires were 100%. Mean ages were 9.0 and 10.4 years for PA and IDDM subjects, respectively. Children with a PA reported a poorer quality of life than children with IDDM: mean scores were 54.85 for PA subjects and 46.40 for diabetics (p = 0.004) in questionnaire 1 and 54.30 and 34.50 (p

Sensory Impairment and Quality of Life in a Community Elderly Population

Abstract: Objective: To determine the association between quality of life measures and sensory impairment in aged individuals living at home. Design: Survey Setting: A community survey, carried out in the historical center of a town in Northern Italy. Patients: 1191 non-institutionalized elders (age 70–75 years). Measurements: Comprehensive QOL questionnaire, free-field voice testing, and Snellen eye chart. Results: Single sensory impairments (either visual or auditory) were significantly and independently associated with increased risk for depression (odds ratio: 2.3, 95% confidence interval: 1.5–3.4; OR:1.8, CI:1.1–2.7, respectively) and decreased self-sufficiency in daily living activities (OR: 1.7, CI:1.1–2.6; OR:2.1, CI:1.4–3.2, respectively). Visual dysfunction, but not hearing dysfunction, was independently associated with lower social relationships (OR:2.0, CI:1.3–3.1). Conclusion: The quality of life of community-dwelling elderly people is significantly linked to sensory impairment, which can be detected through simple physical examination. Mood level and social relationships are particularly affected by visual impairment, whereas self-sufficiency in daily living is more strongly related to hearing impairment.

Quality of life in people with insomnia

Abstract: OBJECTIVE To determine whether subjects with insomnia report greater reductions in quality of life (QoL) than subjects without insomnia when assessed with self-report instruments. METHODS Questionnaires were completed by individuals recruited through media advertisements and screened with a structured telephone interview. Data obtained from 261 individuals with insomnia (INS group) were compared with those of 101 individuals with no sleep complaint, or controls (CTL group). RESULTS Subjects in the INS group obtained lower mean sum scores on the Medical Outcomes Study Cognitive Scale than did subjects in the CTL group (25.34 +/- 0.34 vs 31.91 +/- 0.58, t = 9.53, p < 0.0001). The INS group also obtained lower mean scores on all subscales of the SF-36 Questionnaire compared with those in the CTL group (each, p < 0.0001 or lower), indicating impairments across multiple QoL domains. Psychiatric assessment revealed that subjects in the INS group obtained significantly higher mean item scores than subjects in the control group on the Zung Depression Scale (2.22 +/- 0.03 vs. 1.52 +/- 0.03, p < 0.0001) and the Zung Anxiety Scale (1.96 +/- 0.02 vs. 1.40 +/- 0.04, p < 0.0001). In addition, subjects in the INS group reported significantly greater impairments in specific QoL domains on the QoL inventory, and the Work and Daily Activities Inventory. No differences were observed between subjects in the INS group who were receiving treatment for insomnia versus those who were untreated. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study indicate that significant QoL impairments are associated with insomnia.

Migraine, quality of life, and depression A population-based case–control study

Abstract: Objective: This study reports on the influence of migraine and comorbid depression on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in a population-based sample of subjects with migraine and nonmigraine controls. Methods: Two population-based studies of similar design were conducted in the United States and United Kingdom. A clinically validated, computer-assisted telephone interview was used to identify individuals with migraine, as defined by the International Headache Society, and a nonmigraine control group. During follow-up interviews, 389 migraine cases (246 US, 143 UK) and 379 nonmigraine controls (242 US, 137 UK) completed the Short Form (SF)–12, a generic HRQoL measure, and the Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders, a mental health screening tool. The SF-12 measures HRQoL in two domains: a mental health component score (MCS-12) and a physical health component score (PCS-12). Results: In the United States and United Kingdom, subjects with migraine had lower scores ( p Conclusions: Subjects with migraine selected from the general population have lower HRQoL as measured by the SF-12 compared with nonmigraine controls. Further, migraine and depression are highly comorbid and each exerts a significant and independent influence on HRQoL.