Adverse lifestyle and health-related quality of life: gender differences in patients with and without chronic conditions

Abstract Purpose This study aims to evaluate health-related quality of life among children with different chronic conditions and make a comparison among them. In addition, the study will draw a comparison between children’s perspective about their quality of life and parents’ perspective. Furthermore, the study will address the associations between quality of life with disease severity, duration and the presence of other co-morbidities. Methods This was a prospective, analytical, correlational study design in which Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL 4.0 generic core scale) was administered to assess quality of life on 110 children; 50 children with cancer, 30 children with thalassemia and 30 children undergoing hemodialysis. Researchers interviewed children as well as their parents. Results Results showed that children with Thalassemia had the lowest scores and suffered from poor quality of life compared to the other two groups of children. Interestingly, quality of life level among children undergoing dialysis was lower than children with cancer. However, there were marked discrepancy between child’s and parents’ answers on scale questions. The level of quality of life, in all children, were statistically significant in relation with family size, income and parents’ education. Conclusion We identified high prevalence of poor level of health-related quality of life among children included in this study. The findings support that the quality of life among children with chronic conditions should receive more attention in our local medical settings.

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Gender Differences in Symptoms, Health-Related Quality of Life, Sleep Quality, Mental Health, Cognitive Performance, Pain-Cognition, and Positive Health in Spanish Fibromyalgia Individuals: The Al-Ándalus Project

Pain Research and Management ◽

10.1155/2016/5135176 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 2016 ◽

pp. 1-14 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Víctor Segura-Jiménez ◽

Fernando Estévez-López ◽

Alberto Soriano-Maldonado ◽

Inmaculada C. Álvarez-Gallardo ◽

Manuel Delgado-Fernández ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Mental Health ◽

Gender Differences ◽

Working Memory ◽

Health Related Quality ◽

Tender Points ◽

Positive Health ◽

Related Quality ◽

Health Related

Objective. To test the gender differences in tenderness, impact of fibromyalgia, health-related quality of life, fatigue, sleep quality, mental health, cognitive performance, pain-cognition, and positive health in Spanish fibromyalgia patients and in age-matched nonfibromyalgia individuals from the same region. To test the optimal cut-off score of the different tender points for women and men.Methods. A total of 405 (384 women) fibromyalgia versus 247 (195 women) nonfibromyalgia control participants from southern Spain (Andalusia) took part in this cross-sectional study. The outcomes studied were assessed by means of several tests.Results. In the fibromyalgia group, men showed better working memory than women (all,P<0.01), whereas sleep latency was lower in women compared to men (P=0.013). In the nonfibromyalgia group, men showed higher pain threshold in all the tender points (all,P<0.01), except in right and left lateral epicondyle. Furthermore, men showed better working memory than women (all,P<0.01), whereas memory performance was better in women compared to men (all,P≤0.01).Conclusion. The results of the present study do not support consistent evidence of gender differences in fibromyalgia-related symptoms. However, it seems that detriment of some symptoms (especially pain) in fibromyalgia men compared with their nonfibromyalgia counterparts is greater than those of fibromyalgia women compared with their nonfibromyalgia peers.

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