Evaluation of women’s quality of life after breast reconstruction surgery

Introduction: Breast cancer is the most common malignancy among women, and is usually treated surgically. Mastectomy has a great influence on the mental and physical condition of women. Breast reconstruction offers them a chance to improve their quality of life (QOL) and self-image.The main aim of the study was to gain knowledge about the impact of breast reconstruction on the QOL of women following mastectomy, and an analysis of the QOL after breast reconstruction, in the context of prosthesis effect assessment.Materials and methods: The study comprised 100 women following breast reconstructive surgery involved in 1 of the 7 “Amazon Clubs” (post-mastectomy women’s associations) in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, northwest Poland. The study was based on the author’s questionnaire, and a shortened standardized version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire. Statistical calculations were performed with StatSoft Statistica v10 software, adopting a significance level of p < 0.05.Results: The women who decided to have breast reconstruction surgery, noticed improved well-being (67%) and experiencedan increase in self-confidence (61%). The vast majority ofthe patients surveyed (93%) were satisfied with the effectof the prosthesis. Statistically significant differences in QOL were observed in the following spheres: rest and sleep, work capacity, negative feelings, and financial resources (p < 0.05) in relation to the evaluation of the prosthesis effect.Conclusions: 1. Breast reconstruction has a positive influence on improvements in well-being, increasing self-esteem, and the assessment of a more attractive appearance in women of all ages. 2. Breast reconstruction surgery has a positive impact on QOL and health in the physical, psychological, and environmental domains, especially in the women who are satisfied with the effects of the surgery. 3. A negative assessment of the breast reconstruction effect has an adverse influence on QOL. Identifying the factors affecting dissatisfaction with the post-operative outcome is crucial for a complete understanding of the subject, and for implementing measures aimed at improving the QOL of these women.Keywords: quality of life; mastectomy; breast cancer; breast reconstruction; breast surgery.

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Mothers’ quality of life delivering kangaroo mother care at Malawian hospitals: a qualitative study

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes ◽

10.1186/s12955-021-01823-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Alinane Linda Nyondo-Mipando ◽

Mai-Lei Woo Kinshella ◽

Tamanda Hiwa ◽

Sangwani Salimu ◽

Mwai Banda ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Health Workers ◽

Well Being ◽

Kangaroo Mother Care ◽

World Health ◽

World Health Organization Quality ◽

Resource Limited ◽

Limited Health ◽

The Impact

Abstract Introduction Kangaroo mother care is known to help save the lives of preterm and low birthweight infants, particularly in resource-limited health settings, yet barriers to implementation have been documented. Mothers and their families are very involved in the process of providing kangaroo mother care and the impact on their well-being has not been well explored. The objective of this research was to investigate the perspectives and experiences of a mother’s quality of life while delivering facility-based kangaroo mother care. Methods This study is a secondary analysis of the qualitative data collected within the “Integrating a neonatal healthcare package for Malawi” project. Twenty-seven health workers and 24 caregivers engaged with kangaroo mother care at four hospitals in southern Malawi were interviewed between May–August 2019. All interviews were face-to-face and followed a topic guide. Content analysis was conducted on NVivo 12 (QSR International, Melbourne, Australia) based on the six World Health Organization Quality of Life domains (physical, psychological, level of independence, social relationships, environment, spirituality). Results Fifty-one interviews were conducted with 24 caregivers and 14 health workers. Mothers experienced multidimensional challenges to their quality of life while delivering facility-based KMC. Though kangaroo mother care was considered a simple intervention, participants highlighted that continuous kangaroo mother care was difficult to practice. Kangaroo mother care was an exhausting experience for mothers due to being in one position for prolonged periods, compromised sleep, restricted movement, boredom, and isolation during their stay at the hospital as well as poor support for daily living needs such as food. Discussion A heavy burden is placed on mothers who become the key person responsible for care during kangaroo mother care, especially in resource-limited health settings. More focus is needed on supporting caregivers during the delivery of kangaroo mother care through staff support, family inclusion, and conducive infrastructure.

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The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic and Lockdown Measures on Quality of Life among Italian General Population

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm10020289 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 289 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Maria Stella Epifanio ◽

Federica Andrei ◽

Giacomo Mancini ◽

Francesca Agostini ◽

Marco Andrea Piombo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Online Survey ◽

Physical Space ◽

Sampling Strategy ◽

World Health ◽

Snowball Sampling ◽

World Health Organization Quality ◽

The World ◽

The Impact

The COVID-19 pandemic that has hit the world in the year 2020 has put a strain on our ability to cope with events and revolutionized our daily habits. On 9 March, Italy was forced to lockdown to prevent the spread of the infection, with measures including the mandatory closure of schools and nonessential activities, travel restrictions, and the obligation to spend entire weeks in the same physical space. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown measures on quality of life (QoL) in a large Italian sample, in order to investigate possible differences in QoL levels related to both demographic and pandemic-specific variables. A total of 2251 Italian adults (1665 women, mainly young and middle adults) were recruited via a snowball sampling strategy. Participants were requested to answer to an online survey, which included demographic and COVID-related information items, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life BREF questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF). The results showed statistically significant differences in QoL depending on a number of variables, including sex, area of residence in Italy, and being diagnosed with a medical/psychiatric condition. To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess QoL during COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, therefore the present findings can offer guidelines regarding which social groups are more vulnerable of a decline in QoL and would benefit of psychological interventions.

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THE IMPACT OF SIBLING STATUS ON CHINESE COLLEGE STUDENTS' QUALITY OF LIFE

Social Behavior and Personality An International Journal ◽

10.2224/sbp.2005.33.3.227 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 33 (3) ◽

pp. 227-242 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Glen D. Edwards ◽

Art W. Bangert ◽

Gregory Cooch ◽

Naotaka Shinfuku ◽

Tao Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

College Students ◽

The Self ◽

World Health ◽

World Health Organization Quality ◽

Chinese College Students ◽

Self Rating ◽

Holistic Understanding ◽

The Impact

The World Health Organization Quality of Life-100 (WHOQOL-100, Power, Harper, Bullinger, & WHO1QLG), the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (Zhang, 1993), and the Self-Rating Depression Scale (Zhang, 1993) were used to determine whether Chinese college students from only child and sibling child families rated perceptions of their quality of life differently. Small to moderate significant differences were found when comparing only students to sibling students on the WHOQOL-100 with no significant differences on measures of anxiety and depression. These results suggest that only students do not differ greatly from sibling students in terms of their overall perceptions of their quality of life. A unique characteristic of this study was that it targeted older college students born after implementation of the one-child-per-family policy in China. Also, self-rating instruments were used to gain a greater holistic understanding of the emotional well-being, physical state and social functioning of students. Several psychosocial and economic reasons, including methodological issues related to this study's findings, were discussed.

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Quality of life in older adults receiving hemodialysis: a qualitative study

Quality of Life Research ◽

10.1007/s11136-019-02349-9 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 29 (3) ◽

pp. 655-663 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Rasheeda K. Hall ◽

Michael P. Cary ◽

Tiffany R. Washington ◽

Cathleen S. Colón-Emeric

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Social Support ◽

Older Adults ◽

Qualitative Study ◽

Symptom Control ◽

Well Being ◽

World Health ◽

World Health Organization Quality ◽

Frailty Status

Abstract Purpose Patient priorities for quality of life change with age. We conducted a qualitative study to identify quality of life themes of importance to older adults receiving dialysis and the extent to which these are represented in existing quality of life instruments. Methods We conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 adults aged ≥ 75 years receiving hemodialysis to elicit participant perspectives on what matters most to them in life. We used framework analysis methodology to process interview transcripts (coding, charting, and mapping), identify major themes, and compare these themes by participant frailty status. We examined for representation of our study’s subthemes in the Kidney Disease Quality of Life (KDQOL-36) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life for Older Adults (WHOQOL-OLD) instruments. Results Among the 12 participants, average age was 81 (4.2) years, 7 African-American, 6 women, and 6 met frailty criteria. We identified two major quality of life themes: (1) having physical well-being (subthemes: being able to do things independently, having symptom control, maintaining physical health, and being alive) and (2) having social support (subthemes: having practical social support, emotional social support, and socialization). Perspectives on the subthemes often varied by frailty status. For example, being alive meant surviving from day-to-day for frail participants, but included a desire for new life experiences for non-frail participants. The majority of the subthemes did not correspond with domains in the KDQOL-36 and WHOQOL-OLD instruments. Conclusion Novel instruments are likely needed to elicit the dominant themes of having physical well-being and having social support identified by older adults receiving dialysis.

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Quality of life of patients with unipolar depression

Medicinski pregled ◽

10.2298/mpns1002113z ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 63 (1-2) ◽

pp. 113-116 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Olivera Zikic ◽

Suzana Tosic-Golubovic ◽

Violeta Slavkovic

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Depressive Episode ◽

Unipolar Depression ◽

Negative Influence ◽

World Health ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

World Health Organization Quality ◽

Depressive Episodes ◽

The Impact

Introduction. Quality of life has gained increasing attention as an important component of functional outcome in mood disorders. The aim of our study was to investigate the relationship between unipolar depression and quality of life. Material and methods. The group consisted of 84 patients with unipolar depression (depressive episode or recurrent depression, without psychotic presentation) and 30 healthy controls. We applied socio demographic questionnaire, World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief and The Patient Health Questionnaire - 9. Results. The impact of unipolar depression on quality of life was significant. The patients had significantly lower scores in all 4 domains of quality of life (Physical health, Psychological health, Social relations, Environment) compared with healthy controls. The biggest influence was on physical (43.71 vs. 76.67) and psychological (36.01 vs. 65.83) domains. The quality of life decreased with the increase of severity of depressive episode and duration of current episode, as well as with incidence of depressive episodes. The absence of emotional relationship had also a very negative influence. There were no differences in quality of life between male and female depressive patients. The level of education had an impact on physical and psychological domain. Discussion. Generally, the quality of life in unipolar depression is very modest. One of the reasons for such influence could be the main pathological factor in depression - negative view of self world and future. Beside that, the reason could be significant psychological suffering and decreased function in depression. Conclusion. Unipolar depression has negative influence on quality of life.

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The Impact of COVID-19 Infection on the Quality of Life of Health Care Workers

10.21203/rs.3.rs-1009194/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Sadeel Shanshal ◽

Harith Kh. Al-Qazaz

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Sleep Quality ◽

Psychological Health ◽

World Health ◽

World Health Organization Quality ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Males And Females ◽

The Mean ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background: COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected the entire world and one of its impacts was the increased level of stress and anxiety, especially among healthcare workers. Therefore, this study aims at evaluating the quality of life (QoL) and sleep quality of healthcare professionals in Iraq.Methods: This study assessed the QoL and sleep quality by using World Health Organization Quality of Life Instruments (WHOQOL-BREF) and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) respectively. The questionnaires were administered through an online cross-sectional survey targeted at workers in medical fields in Iraq from 1st to 20th of August 2021. Results: Three hundred medical health workers participated, and females constituted 75.3%. The two questionnaires had very good internal consistency. The highest scoring domain was the social relationships, followed by physical health. Significant difference was found in the mean scores of psychological health domain between males and females, with higher scores observed in males. The mean of the total ISI score was 11.58 ± 6.88 with a range between 0 and 27. Severe insomnia was observed in only 9.7% of the participants. A significant negative correlation (r = -0.118) was found between age and ISI scores of the participants. Significant differences were found between males and females with higher ISI mean score observed among males. Conclusion: The quality of life and sleep pattern can be impacted by COVID-19 infection with the psychological aspect of QoL being the most affected and some degrees of insomnia being observed in many participants.

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QUALITY OF LIFE OF MILITARY PERSONNEL SERVING UNDER CONTRACT IN THE KOLA POLAR REGION

Marine Medicine ◽

10.22328/2413-5747-2019-5-4-66-73 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 5 (4) ◽

pp. 66-73

Author(s):

A. S. Dybin ◽

L. I. Menshikova ◽

M. V. Tsizhma ◽

P. Yu. Shapovalov ◽

A. V. Khlopov

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Military Service ◽

High Performance ◽

Polar Region ◽

Maximum Level ◽

Well Being ◽

World Health ◽

The Arctic ◽

World Health Organization Quality

Introduction. The paper presents the results of a research of quality of life of the military serving under the contract in the Kola Polar region. The research was conducted using the World Health Organization Quality of Life brief version questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF). The purpose of this work was to assess the quality of life and identify the factors adversely affecting the quality of life. The sociological questionnaire study in a group of 209 servicemen serving under the contract in the Kola Polar region was made. Results of the study showed lack of dependence of the general assessment of quality of life on a military rank, income level, age, education, marital status and the number of children in family, and at the same time, statistically significant correlation in the presence of diseases or under any treatment in the last two weeks prior to the survey in a respondent. The analysis of the general assessment of quality of life revealed the highest level in the sphere of micro-social support — 12,2 points (81,3% of the maximum level), and the lowest level in the sphere of social well-being — 26,0 points (65% of the maximum level). Answers to questions concerning existence of an opportunity for rest and entertainments and about availability of medical care are scored the lowest — 2,1 and 3,1 points, respectively. Answers to questions concerning state of environment, satisfaction with monetary pay and conditions in the place of residence were also scored low — 3,3 points. Assessment of quality of life using the WHOQOL-BREF can be used in order to identify and neutralize negative factors of military service and conditions of life and also for improvement of measures for maintaining health, high performance of military work, and motivation in servicemen under the contract in the Arctic zone.

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Relationship between well-being, quality of life and hope in family caregivers of schizophrenic people

Revista Brasileira de Enfermagem ◽

10.1590/0034-7167-2019-0359 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 73 (suppl 1) ◽

Author(s):

Patricia Dias Francisquini ◽

Marcos Hirata Soares ◽

Fernanda Pamela Machado ◽

Margarita Antonia Villar Luis ◽

Julia Trevisan Martins

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

World Health Organization ◽

Family Caregivers ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Well Being ◽

World Health ◽

World Health Organization Quality ◽

Dispositional Hope ◽

Health Organization

ABSTRACT Objective: To measure and correlate the degree of psychological well-being, quality of life, and dispositional hope in family caregivers of schizophrenic people. Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study conducted with 117 relatives of schizophrenic people. We applied a questionnaire of sociodemographic variables was applied, and the instruments World Health Organization 5-Item Well-Being (WHO-5), World Health Organization Quality of Life Abbreviated (WHOQOL-Bref), and Dispositional Hope Scale. We used The Kruskal Wallis, Jonckheere-Terpstra, and Spearman correlation tests at the level α <0.05. Results: It was possible to observe statistical significance when comparing schooling and age with Disposal Hope; and when comparing the scales used. Conclusion: The study considered that well-being, quality of life, and hope are variables that negatively influence caregiver burden, suggesting schooling as an inverse correlation variable with Dispositional Hope.

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The 2019 Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia Staff Survey: Determining the Level and Predictors of Quality of Life

Frontiers in Psychiatry ◽

10.3389/fpsyt.2021.705018 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Mohd Izwan Mat Nazali ◽

Salmi Razali ◽

Suthahar Ariaratnam ◽

Yuhaniz Ahmad ◽

Hapizah Nawawi

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Psychological Health ◽

Well Being ◽

World Health ◽

Academic Excellence ◽

Medical Illness ◽

University Staff ◽

World Health Organization Quality ◽

Level Of Education

Experiencing good quality of life (QOL) among university staff is extremely crucial to ensuring academic excellence; however, there are limited data on factors that contribute to QOL among university staff. This study aims to determine the level and the predictors for good QOL among university staff. The consenting participants were selected using a stratified sampling method. Participants who had fulfilled the selection criteria were provided with socio-demographic, medical illness, job factor, and family background questionnaires. QOL and psychological well-being (depression, anxiety, and stress) were assessed using the World Health Organization Quality of Life brief version (WHOQOL-BREF) and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) questionnaires, respectively. A total of 278 staff (mean ± SD age: 38.84 ± 7.85 years, 44.2% males, 82.7% married) had participated in this study. This study found that participants had low QOL in the domains of physical health [P-QOL] (11.2%), psychological health [PSY-QOL] (9.7%), social relationships [SR-QOL] (19.1%), and environment [E-QOL] (14.4%). The predictors of P-QOL were depression, medical illness, and number of dependents, while those of PSY-QOL were work promotion, depression, medical illness, and number of dependents. Additionally, the predictors of SR-QOL were campus location, depression, and work promotion, while those of E-QOL were age, level of education, depression, work promotion, and medical illness. Depression significantly affected all domains of QOL. Younger participants without medical illness and those with tertiary level of education had increased odds of having good QOL. Participants having dependents without work promotion and employed in suburban areas had decreased odds of having good QOL. The relevant authority should be identified and then assist staff with difficulties to ensure the staff benefited from having a good QOL.

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Stages of breast reconstruction and quality of life after breast cancer

Mastology ◽

10.29289/25945394202020190014 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 30 ◽

Author(s):

Aline Fernanda Fontinele Murici ◽

Ângela Ferreira Barros

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Quality Of Life ◽

Breast Reconstruction ◽

Federal District ◽

Perioperative Period ◽

Well Being ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Therapeutic Modality ◽

Cross Sectional

Objective: To evaluate which stage of breast reconstruction promotes improved quality of life for women treated for breast cancer, and to verify the socioeconomic and clinical factors associated with better quality of life. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 70 women treated for breast cancer in the perioperative period of late breast reconstruction in the Federal District. To assess quality of life, the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy — Breast (FACT-B) instrument was used. Results: Half of the women were under 50 years old. Tumor removal surgery had occurred on average 5.4 years ago. Women with axillary dissection had greater impairment in the physical well-being domain (p=0.001) and the breast cancer subscale (p=0.016). Among women who had undergone surgery more than one year previously, there were higher domains of emotional (p=0.006) and functional (p=0.003) well-being. Women who underwent breast reconstruction had higher values in the social/family well-being (p<0.001), emotional well-being (p=0.001), functional well-being (p=0.001), and breast cancer subscale (p=0.005) domains; and on the FACT-B score (p<0.001), right after the first stage. Conclusions: Breast reconstruction favored better quality of life from the first stage, suggesting that this therapeutic modality should be offered promptly, whenever possible, and guaranteed for all women treated for breast cancer.

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