scholarly journals Declines in health literacy and health-related quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal study of the Japanese general population

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hirono Ishikawa ◽  
Mio Kato ◽  
Takahiro Kiuchi
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
General Population ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Health Related Quality ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Japanese General Population

Abstract Background During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the importance of health literacy (HL) was addressed by public health researchers. We longitudinally examined the changes in general HL and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) between immediately before the COVID-19 outbreak and 1 year later, and how general HL before the outbreak was related to changes in HRQOL in the Japanese general population. Methods Among the Japanese residents aged 20–79 years who participated in our previous study in 2017, 826 were followed-up via self-administered questionnaires in January 2020 and February 2021, for the purposes of this study. The HRQOL was measured using the SF-8, a short version of the SF-36 Health Survey, and general HL was measured using the short form of the European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HL-SF12) in the 2020 and 2021 surveys. Results The physical and mental dimensions of HRQOL as well as general HL declined significantly from immediately before the COVID-19 outbreak to 1 year later (p = .010, p < .001 and p < .001, respectively). The decline in HRQOL, especially the mental dimension, was more significant among women. A lower economic status was also related to a greater decline in HRQOL (p = .026 for the physical dimension and p = .012 for the mental dimension). Higher general HL before the COVID-19 outbreak was associated with a lesser decline in HRQOL in both the physical and mental dimensions (p = .040 and p < .001, respectively) after controlling for possible confounding variables such as gender and economic status. Conclusions Healthcare support is crucial for vulnerable populations during and after the pandemic. General HL may be important for attenuating the decline in HRQOL, by enabling effective use of health information and adaptive behaviors toward health threats. Further studies are needed to better understand the association between HL and HRQOL.

scholarly journals Health Literacy among People in Cardiac Rehabilitation: Associations with Participation and Health-Related Quality of Life in the Heart Skills Study in Denmark

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Aaby ◽  
Karina Friis ◽  
Bo Christensen ◽  
Helle Terkildsen Maindal
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Cardiac Rehabilitation ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Noncommunicable Disease ◽  
Health Related Quality ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related

Health literacy (HL) is a dynamic determinant of health and a promising target of health equity interventions in noncommunicable disease prevention. Among people referred to a cardiac rehabilitation program, we examined the associations between (1) HL and participation in cardiac rehabilitation and (2) HL and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Using a cross-sectional design, we invited 193 people referred to cardiac rehabilitation in Randers Municipal Rehabilitation Unit, Denmark, to respond to a questionnaire in 2017. Of these, 150 people responded (77.7%). HL was measured using the nine scales of the Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ), while HRQoL was measured using the Short Form Health Survey 12 (version 2) (SF-12). The mean age of respondents was 67.0 years; 71.3% of the sample were men. Nonrespondents had significantly lower educational attainment and more often lived alone than respondents. Using multiple regression analyses, we found no significant associations between HL and participation in cardiac rehabilitation. There were significant positive associations between several aspects of HL and physical and mental HRQoL. HL could be a factor of interest in initiatives aimed at improving participation and outcomes of cardiac rehabilitation.

scholarly journals A Cirurgia de Substituição Valvular Aórtica Melhora a Qualidade de Vida dos Doentes?

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 399
Author(s):  
Pedro Coelho ◽  
Lara Noronha Ferreira ◽  
Clara Vital ◽  
José Fragata
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
General Population ◽  
Health Survey ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Preoperative Period ◽  
Health Related Quality ◽  
Aortic Prosthesis ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related

Introduction: Aortic valve replacement surgery is done to increase patients’ life expectancy and improve their health-related quality of life. Several published studies have found improvement in health-related quality of life after this procedure, but none have involved patients in Portugal. This study sought to evaluate patients’ health-related quality of life after the implantation of aortic prostheses and compare these values with preoperative health-related quality of life and the general Portuguese population’s health-related quality of life.Material and Methods: A retrospective study was done with elective patients who underwent implantation of an aortic prosthesis between August 2011 and April 2016. Health-related quality of life was evaluated using the Short Form 36 Health Survey and Short Form 6 Health Survey questionnaires in the preoperative period and 3, 6 and 12 months post-surgery. Descriptive and inferential analyses were conducted to process the data and compare preoperative health-related quality of life with postoperative values and the Portuguese population’s norms.Results: The sample included 506 patients with an average age of 70.6 years. The majority are male (53.6%). The postoperative results show a statistically significant improvement compared to preoperative health-related quality of life in all eight dimensions of the Short Form 36 Health Survey. When contrasted with the general Portuguese population, patients’ health-related quality of life is lower in the preoperative period, improving postoperatively and reaching higher than average health-related quality of life levels in some subgroups of patients and in various dimensions. An analysis of the Short Form 6 Health Survey results revealed that the patients undergoing this surgery have a higher level of preoperative problems compared with the general population, but these patients’ values approach those of the general population by the end of one year post-surgery.Discussion: This is the first study in Portugal that compares health-related quality of life using a validated scale, before and after the aortic prosthesis implantation surgery. The results demonstrate a significant improvement in all dimensions, which is not consistently observed in other published studies. Conclusion: The results confirm that the implantation of aortic prostheses improves patients’ health-related quality of life, over time bringing it close to the general population’s levels.

scholarly journals Health-related quality of life and risk of hospitalization in a healthy general population

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Bonaccio ◽  
A Di Castelnuovo ◽  
S Costanzo ◽  
M Persichillo ◽  
A De Curtis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
General Population ◽  
Lower Risk ◽  
Hospital Admissions ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Health Related Quality ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related

Abstract Background The association of health-related quality of life (HRQL) with total and cardiovascular (CVD) hospitalization was assessed in a population-based cohort of apparently healthy subjects; several pathways possibly accounting for such associations were also tested. Methods Longitudinal analysis on 16,849 subjects free from CVD and cancer from the Moli-sani Study, Italy (2005-2010). HRQL was performed by the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey including both mental and physical domains. First hospital admissions were recorded by direct linkage with hospital discharge form registry. Hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence interval (95%CI) were calculated by multivariable Cox-regression. Results Over a median follow-up of 7.3 y, 6,061 all-cause, 1907 CVD, 431 IHD and 294 stroke hospital admissions were ascertained. The highest quintile of mental HRQL was associated with 23% (95%CI: 17% to 29%), 26% (15% to 36%) and 30% (5% to 48%) lower risk of total, CVD and IHD admissions to hospital, respectively, as compared to the lowest. Risk estimates for physical health were 0.60 (0.56-0.65 for Q5 vs Q1), 0.57 (0.50-0.65) and 0.73 (0.55-0.97) for total, CVD and IHD hospital admissions, respectively. A downward trend with stroke hospitalizations was found for both mental and physical HRQL. Healthy behaviours explained up to 13% of the association between mental HRQL and IHD risk; inflammatory markers (i.e. C-reactive protein and white blood cell count)) accounted for a significant proportion (34%) of the association of physical HRQL with IHD hospitalizations. Conclusions In a large sample of disease-free subjects, not only physical, but also higher mental HRQL is associated with lower risk of total and CVD hospitalizations. Key messages HRQL adds meaningful information beyond traditional risk factors to the prediction of hospitalization. HRQL assessment may be useful in stratifying hospitalization risk among a general population of healthy adults.

Association of Physical Morbidity and Health-Related Quality of Life in a Representative Sample of Older German People

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 140-151
Author(s):  
Markus A. Wirtz ◽  
Matthias Morfeld ◽  
Elmar Brähler ◽  
Andreas Hinz ◽  
Heide Glaesmer
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Representative Sample ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Physical Symptoms ◽  
German Population ◽  
Health Related Quality ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related

Abstract. The association between health-related quality of life (HRQoL; Short-Form Health Survey-12; SF-12) and patient-reported morbidity-related symptoms measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15) is analyzed in a representative sample of older people in the general German population. Data from 1,659 people aged 60 to 85 years were obtained. Latent class analysis identified six classes of patients, which optimally categorize clusters of physical symptoms the participants reported: musculoskeletal impairments (39.8%), healthy (25.7%), musculoskeletal and respiratory/cardiac impairments (12.8%), musculoskeletal and respiratory impairments, along with bowel and digestion problems (12.9%), general impairments (4.9%), and general impairments with no bowel and digestion problems (4.8%). The participants’ SF-12 Physical Health Scores (η2 = .39) and their Mental Health Scores (η2 = .28) are highly associated with these latent classes. These associations remain virtually identical after controlling for age. The results provide evidence that profiles of patient-reported physical impairments correspond strongly with reduced HRQoL independently from aging processes.

Factors Affecting Health-Related Quality of Life After the Arterial Switch Operation

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 344-351
Author(s):  
Julie Cleuziou ◽  
Anna-Katharina Huber ◽  
Martina Strbad ◽  
Masamichi Ono ◽  
Alfred Hager ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Arterial Switch Operation ◽  
Health Related Quality ◽  
Switch Operation ◽  
Sf 36 ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Cardiac Medication

Background: Long-term morbidity and mortality outcomes of the arterial switch operation (ASO) in patients with transposition of the great arteries and Taussig-Bing anomaly are excellent. With an increasing number of patients reaching adolescence and adulthood, more attention is directed toward quality of life. Our study aimed to determine the health-related quality of life (hrQoL) outcomes in patients after the ASO and identify factors influencing their hrQoL. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, hrQoL of patients after ASO was assessed with the German version of the Short Form-36 (SF-36) and the potential association of specified clinical factors was analyzed. Patients of at least 14 years of age who underwent ASO in our institution from 1983 were considered eligible. Results: Of the 355 questionnaires sent to eligible patients, 261 (73%) were available for analysis. Compared to the reference population, patients who had undergone ASO had a significantly higher score in all subscales of the SF-36 except for vitality ( P < .01). Patients with an implanted pacemaker ( P = .002), patients who required at least one reoperation ( P < .001), and patients currently taking cardiac medication ( P < .004) or oral anticoagulation ( P = .036) had lower physical component scores compared to patients without these factors. Conclusions: Patients’ self-assessed and self-reported hrQoL after ASO (using German version of the Short Form 36) is very good. In this population, hrQoL is influenced by reoperation, the need for a pacemaker, and current cardiac medication or anticoagulant use. The development of strategies designed to mitigate or minimize the requirements for, and/or impact of these factors may lead to better hrQoL in this patient population.

scholarly journals Health-Related Quality of Life in Adrenocortical Carcinoma

Cancers ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1500 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca V. Steenaard ◽  
Laura A. Michon ◽  
Harm R. Haak
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
General Population ◽  
Adrenocortical Carcinoma ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Clinical Aspects ◽  
Health Related Quality ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related ◽  
The Impact

Insight into the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) impact of adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is important. The disease and its treatment options potentially have an impact on HRQoL. For patients with limited survival, HRQoL research is of utmost importance. We will therefore provide an overview of HRQoL studies in patients with ACC. We found six studies that measured HRQoL in 323 patients with ACC (3 cross-sectional, 1 cohort, 2 trials), all indicating a reduced HRQoL compared to the general population. The FIRMACT trial found that HRQoL of patients with ACC was reduced compared to the general population, and that chemotherapy-mitotane further reduced HRQoL even though survival improved. Clinical aspects of the disease, including cortisol and aldosterone production and adrenal insufficiency have shown great impact on HRQoL in benign disease, even after the recovery of hormonal status. However, the impact of malignant adrenal disease and treatment options on HRQoL including adrenalectomy, radiotherapy, mitotane therapy, and chemotherapy have not been sufficiently studied in patients with ACC. Although the number of HRQoL studies in patients with ACC is limited, the existing literature does indicate that ACC has a large impact on patients’ HRQoL, with disease specific aspects. Further HRQoL research in patients with ACC is essential to improve patient-centered care, preferably by using an ACC-specific HRQoL questionnaire.

Effects of BG-12 (dimethyl fumarate) on health-related quality of life in patients with relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis: findings from the CONFIRM study

2013 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 253-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariko Kita ◽  
Robert J Fox ◽  
J Theodore Phillips ◽  
Michael Hutchinson ◽  
Eva Havrdova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Dimethyl Fumarate ◽  
Phase Iii ◽  
Health Related Quality ◽  
Relapsing Remitting ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related

Multiple sclerosis (MS) has a significant impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) with symptoms adversely affecting many aspects of everyday living. BG-12 (dimethyl fumarate) demonstrated significant efficacy in the phase III studies DEFINE and CONFIRM in patients with relapsing–remitting MS. In CONFIRM, HRQoL was worse in patients with greater disability at baseline, and who relapsed during the study, and improved with BG-12 treatment. Mean Short Form-36 Physical Component Summary scores for BG-12 increased over 2 years and scores for placebo decreased. Coupled with clinical and neuroradiological benefits, these HRQoL results further support BG-12 as an effective oral treatment for relapsing MS.

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