scholarly journals Financial burden reportedly impact quality of life among Lymphatic Filariasis Pathology Patients in Ghana

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Opoku Asiedu ◽  
Emmanuel Kobla Atsu Amewu ◽  
Priscilla Kini ◽  
Bill Clinton Aglomasa ◽  
John Boulard Forkuor ◽  
...  

Abstract BackgroundHuman lymphatic filarial pathology is the main cause of disability and poverty among people living with the infection. The second goal of the Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF) is to manage the morbidity associated with the disease with the purpose of improving the quality of life of the patients. Consequently, the current study assessed the overall quality of life of lymphatic filariasis (LF) pathology patients in some selected endemic communities in rural Ghana.MethodIn the present study, the Lymphatic Filariasis Quality of Life Questionnaires (LFSQQ) was used to evaluate the effect of lymphatic filariasis on the quality of life of people with the disease in ten (10) communities in the Ahanta West District of the Western Region of Ghana where, mass drug administration is being implemented for the past twenty years.ResultsOf the 155 study participants recruited, 115 (74.19%) were females and 40 (25.81%) males. A greater proportion of the study participants (40, 25.8%) were presented with stage two (2) lymphedema while only 2 patients had stage seven (7) lymphedema. The average of the overall quality of life scores of study participants was 68.24. There was a negative Pearson correlation (r = -0.504, p-value < 0.0001) between the stage of lymphedema (severity of the disease) and the quality of life of the LF patients. In addition, a clear pattern of positive correlation (r = 0.71, p-value < 0.001) was observed between the disease burden and pain/discomfort domains of the study participants. Whereas, the highest domain specific score (85.03) was observed in the domain of self-care, we noted that the environmental domain, which consist of the financial status was the lowest (45.94) among the study participants.ConclusionOur findings support previous works on the reduced quality of life among lymphatic filariasis patients with pathology. In this study, our results reveal a depressing financial condition among people presenting with late stages of LF pathologies, which eventually reduces their wellbeing.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Opoku Asiedu ◽  
Emmanuel Kobla Atsu Amewu ◽  
Priscilla Kini ◽  
Bill Clinton Aglomasa ◽  
John Boulard Forkuor ◽  
...  

Abstract BackgroundHuman lymphatic filarial pathology is the main cause of disability and poverty among people living with the infection. The second goal of the Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF) is to manage the morbidity associated with the disease with the purpose of improving the quality of life of the patients. Consequently, the current study assessed the overall quality of life of lymphatic filariasis (LF) pathology patients in some selected endemic communities in rural Ghana. MethodIn the present study, the Lymphatic Filariasis Quality of Life Questionnaires (LFSQQ) was used to evaluate the effect of lymphatic filariasis on the quality of life of people with the disease in ten (10) communities in the Ahanta West District of the Western Region of Ghana where, mass drug administration is being implemented for the past twenty years. ResultsOf the 155 study participants recruited, 115 (74.19%) were females and 40 (25.81%) males. A greater proportion of the study participants (40, 25.8%) were presented with stage two (2) lymphedema while only 2 patients had stage seven (7) lymphedema. The average of the overall quality of life scores of study participants was 68.24. There was a negative Pearson correlation (r = -0.504, p-value < 0.0001) between the stage of lymphedema (severity of the disease) and the quality of life of the LF patients. In addition, a clear pattern of positive correlation (r = 0.71, p-value < 0.001) was observed between the disease burden and pain/discomfort domains of the study participants. Whereas, the highest domain specific score (85.03) was observed in the domain of self-care, we noted that the environmental domain, which consist of the financial status was the lowest (45.94) among the study participants. ConclusionOur findings support previous works on the reduced quality of life among lymphatic filariasis patients with pathology. In this study, our results reveal a depressing financial condition among people presenting with late stages of LF pathologies, which eventually reduces their wellbeing.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Opoku Asiedu ◽  
Alexander Kwarteng ◽  
Emmanuel Kobla Atsu Amewu ◽  
Priscilla Kini ◽  
Bill Clinton Aglomasa ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Human lymphatic filarial pathology is the main cause of disability and poverty among people living with the infection. The second goal of the Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF) is to manage the morbidity associated with the disease with the purpose of improving the quality of life of the patients. Consequently, the current study assessed the overall quality of life of lymphatic filariasis (LF) pathology patients in some selected endemic communities in rural Ghana. Method In the present study, the Lymphatic Filariasis Quality of Life Questionnaire (LFSQQ) was used to evaluate the effect of lymphatic filariasis on the quality of life of people, with the disease in nine (9) communities in the Ahanta West District of the Western Region of Ghana where mass drug administration is being implemented for the past twenty years. Pearson’s correlation, linear regression and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) analyses were used to assess the associations between the domains of LFSQQ instrument. Results Of the 155 study participants recruited, 115 (74.19%) were females and 40 (25.81%) males. A greater proportion of the study participants (40, 25.8%) were presented with stage two (2) lymphedema while only 2 patients had stage seven (7) lymphedema. The average of the overall quality of life scores of study participants was 68.24. There was a negative Pearson correlation (r = -0.504, p-value < 0.001) between the stage of lymphedema (severity of the disease) and the quality of life of the LF patients. In addition, a clear pattern of positive correlation (r = 0.71, p-value < 0.001) was observed between the disease burden and pain/discomfort domains of the study participants. Whereas the highest domain specific score (85.03) was observed in the domain of self-care, we noted that the environmental domain, which consists of the financial status was the lowest (45.94) among the study participants. Conclusion Our findings support previous works on the reduced quality of life among lymphatic filariasis patients with pathology. In this study, our results reveal a depressing financial condition among people presenting with late stages of LF pathologies, which eventually reduces their wellbeing.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Opoku Asiedu ◽  
Alexander Kwarteng ◽  
Emmanuel Kobla Atsu Amewu ◽  
Priscilla Kini ◽  
Bill Clinton Aglomasa ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Human lymphatic filarial pathology is the main cause of disability and poverty among people living with the infection. The second goal of the Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF) is to manage the morbidity associated with the disease with the purpose of improving the quality of life of the patients. Consequently, the current study assessed the overall quality of life of lymphatic filariasis (LF) pathology patients in some selected endemic communities in rural Ghana. Method In the present study, the Lymphatic Filariasis Quality of Life Questionnaire (LFSQQ) was used to evaluate the effect of lymphatic filariasis on the quality of life of people, with the disease in nine (9) communities in the Ahanta West District of the Western Region of Ghana where mass drug administration is being implemented for the past twenty years. Pearson’s correlation, linear regression and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) analyses were used to assess the associations between the domains of LFSQQ instrument.Results Of the 155 study participants recruited, 115 (74.19%) were females and 40 (25.81%) males. A greater proportion of the study participants (40, 25.8%) were presented with stage two (2) lymphedema while only 2 patients had stage seven (7) lymphedema. The average of the overall quality of life scores of study participants was 68.24. There was a negative Pearson correlation (r = -0.504, p-value < 0.001) between the stage of lymphedema (severity of the disease) and the quality of life of the LF patients. In addition, a clear pattern of positive correlation (r = 0.71, p-value < 0.001) was observed between the disease burden and pain/discomfort domains of the study participants. Whereas the highest domain specific score (85.03) was observed in the domain of self-care, we noted that the environmental domain, which consists of the financial status was the lowest (45.94) among the study participants. Conclusion Our findings support previous works on the reduced quality of life among lymphatic filariasis patients with pathology. In this study, our results reveal a depressing financial condition among people presenting with late stages of LF pathologies, which eventually reduces their wellbeing.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Opoku Asiedu ◽  
Alexander Kwarteng ◽  
Emmanuel Kobla Atsu Amewu ◽  
Priscilla Kini ◽  
Bill Clinton Aglomasa ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Human lymphatic filarial pathology is the main cause of disability and poverty among people living with the infection. The second goal of the Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF) is to manage the morbidity associated with the disease with the purpose of improving the quality of life of the patients. Consequently, the current study assessed the overall quality of life of lymphatic filariasis (LF) pathology patients in some selected endemic communities in rural Ghana. Method: In the present study, the Lymphatic Filariasis Quality of Life Questionnaire (LFSQQ) was used to evaluate the effect of lymphatic filariasis on the quality of life of people, with the disease in nine (9) communities in the Ahanta West District of the Western Region of Ghana where mass drug administration is being implemented for the past twenty years. Pearson’s correlation, linear regression and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) analyses were used to assess the associations between the domains of LFSQQ instrument. Results: Of the 155 study participants recruited, 115 (74.19%) were females and 40 (25.81%) males. A greater proportion of the study participants (40, 25.8%) were presented with stage two (2) lymphedema while only 2 patients had stage seven (7) lymphedema. The average of the overall quality of life scores of study participants was 68.24. There was a negative Pearson correlation (r = -0.504, p-value < 0.001) between the stage of lymphedema (severity of the disease) and the quality of life of the LF patients. In addition, a clear pattern of positive correlation (r = 0.71, p-value < 0.001) was observed between the disease burden and pain/discomfort domains of the study participants. Whereas the highest domain specific score (85.03) was observed in the domain of self-care, we noted that the environmental domain, which consists of the financial status was the lowest (45.94) among the study participants. Conclusion: Our findings support previous works on the reduced quality of life among lymphatic filariasis patients with pathology. In this study, our results reveal a depressing financial condition among people presenting with late stages of LF pathologies, which eventually reduces their wellbeing.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Opoku Asiedu ◽  
Alexander Kwarteng ◽  
Emmanuel Kobla Atsu Amewu ◽  
Priscilla Kini ◽  
Bill Clinton Aglomasa ◽  
...  

Abstract BackgroundHuman lymphatic filarial pathology is the leading cause of disability and poverty among people living with the infection. The second goal of the Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF) is to manage the disease's morbidity to improve patients' quality of life. Consequently, the current study assessed the overall quality of life of lymphatic filariasis (LF) pathology patients in some selected endemic communities in rural Ghana. MethodIn the present study, the Lymphatic Filariasis Quality of Life Questionnaire (LFSQQ) was used to evaluate the effect of lymphatic filariasis on the quality of life of people, with the disease in nine (9) communities in the Ahanta West District of the Western Region of Ghana where mass drug administration is being implemented for the past twenty years. Pearson’s correlation, linear regression, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) analyses were used to assess the associations between the LFSQQ instrument domains.ResultsOf the 155 study participants recruited, 115 (74.19%) were females, and 40 (25.81%) males. A greater proportion of the study participants (40, 25.8%) were presented with stage two (2) lymphoedema, while only two patients had stage seven (7) lymphoedema. The average of the overall quality of life scores of study participants was 68.24. There was a negative Pearson correlation (r = -0.504, p-value < 0.001) between the stage of lymphoedema (severity of the disease) and the quality of life of the LF patients. In addition, a clear pattern of positive correlation (r = 0.71, p-value < 0.001) was observed between the disease burden and pain/discomfort domains of the study participants. Whereas the highest domain-specific score (85.03) was observed in the domain of self-care, we noted that the environmental domain, which consists of the financial status, was the lowest (45.94) among the study participants. ConclusionOur findings support previous works on the reduced quality of life among lymphatic filariasis patients with pathology. In this study, our results reveal a depressing financial condition among people presenting with late stages of LF pathologies, which eventually reduces their well-being.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Opoku Asiedu ◽  
Alexander Kwarteng ◽  
Emmanuel Kobla Atsu Amewu ◽  
Priscilla Kini ◽  
Bill Clinton Aglomasa ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Human lymphatic filarial pathology is the leading cause of disability and poverty among people living with the infection. The second goal of the Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF) is to manage the disease’s morbidity to improve patients’ quality of life. Consequently, the current study assessed the overall quality of life of lymphatic filariasis (LF) pathology patients in some selected endemic communities in rural Ghana. Method In the present study, the Lymphatic Filariasis Quality of Life Questionnaire (LFSQQ) was used to evaluate the effect of lymphatic filariasis on the quality of life of people, with the disease in nine (9) communities in the Ahanta West District of the Western Region of Ghana where mass drug administration is being implemented for the past twenty years. Pearson’s correlation, linear regression, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) analyses were used to assess the associations between the LFSQQ instrument domains. Results Of the 155 study participants recruited, 115 (74.19%) were females, and 40 (25.81%) males. A greater proportion of the study participants (40, 25.8%) were presented with stage two (2) lymphoedema, while only two patients had stage seven (7) lymphoedema. The average of the overall quality of life scores of study participants was 68.24. There was a negative Pearson correlation (r = − 0.504, p-value < 0.001) between the stage of lymphoedema (severity of the disease) and the quality of life of the LF patients. In addition, a clear pattern of positive correlation (r = 0.71, p-value < 0.001) was observed between the disease burden and pain/discomfort domains of the study participants. Whereas the highest domain-specific score (85.03) was observed in the domain of self-care, we noted that the environmental domain, which consists of the financial status, was the lowest (45.94) among the study participants. Conclusion Our findings support previous works on the reduced quality of life among lymphatic filariasis patients with pathology. In this study, our results reveal a depressing financial condition among people presenting with late stages of LF pathologies, which eventually reduces their well-being.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. 2214
Author(s):  
Nikhil Jain ◽  
Karan Joshi

Background: Asthma is a common cause of morbidity and mortality with prevalence of 300 million in world. The QOL of asthmatic patients cannot be determined only on the basis the severity of the disease, but requires a measurement of personal perception. This study was conducted with the aim to assess and compare the QOL using PedsQl scale in asthma patients between 5 to 18 years of age with different demographic and clinical variables.Methods: This was a cross-sectional observational study conducted at respiratory clinic in tertiary hospital, Rewa from October 2017 to June 2019. A total number of 150 asthmatic patients and their parents participated. Asthmatic patients (N=150) and their parents, presenting to asthma clinic of Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Rewa (after applying inclusion-exclusion criteria) were assessed for QOL using PedsQl scale 3.0. Statistical analysis was performed by SPSS version 20. Test of significance by student T-test and one way ANOVA.Results: The QOL is severely hampered by asthma with mean of 59 in intermittent asthma, 51 in mild, 44.74 in moderate and 40 in severe persistent asthma, significant p value of <0.05. Younger age, level of asthma control and severity were significantly related to QOL with p value of <0.05. Sex, socioeconomic status, were insignificantly related.Conclusions: QOL is impaired as the grading of asthma increases. Impairment of Quality of life are mostly associated with low level of asthma control, poly-therapy and frequent night attacks.


Author(s):  
Prem Singh ◽  
Achyut Kumar Pandey

Background: The quality of life (QOL) evaluation is a relatively new measure to evaluate the outcome of epilepsy. Many factors influence the quality of life of people with epilepsy, including seizure severity, stigma, fear, and the presence of cognitive or psychiatric problems. QOL is influenced by biological factors as well as cultural, social and religious beliefs and values. This study was planned to find out the impact of epilepsy on quality of life of epileptic patients.Methods: The study was conducted in the epilepsy clinic of department of neurology at a tertiary care hospital over a period of one year.101 patients were included after fulfilling the inclusion criteria. All the patients seeking treatment in the OPD were screened, assessed and then all procedures were fully explained to them. History regarding name, age sex, socio-demographic profile and detailed history regarding seizure disorder was taken from both the patient and the reliable informant. Bengali version of QOLIE-9 was used to assess the quality of life.Results: One hundred and one patients with epilepsy consisting of 70 men (69.3%) and 31 women (30.7%) were included. Their ages ranged from 15 to 52, the mean age being 26.17 (SD = 7.84). Out of the 101 patients, 65 patients (64.4%) were suffering from partial epilepsies and 36 patients (35.6%) were suffering from generalized epilepsies. Mean QOLIE-9 total scores were 16.66, 19.74, 20.13 and 24.00 in married, widows, unmarried and separated individuals respectively. The differences in the means were statistically significant on ANOVA (p value 0.002). Mean QOLIE-9 total scores were 27.75, 19.64, 19.65, 18.14 and 18.00 in primary, secondary, higher secondary, graduate and postgraduate individuals respectively. The differences were highly significant statistically on ANOVA (p value<0.001). Frequency of seizures per month was positively correlated with QOLIE-9 total scores (Pearson Correlation 0.622) and was highly statistically significant (p value<0.001).Conclusions: Frequent seizures, lower education level and single status are associated with lower quality of life in persons with epilepsy.


Author(s):  
Mehdi Rezaei Far ◽  
Farzad Faraji-Khiavi

Background: Nurses face a lot of stress in their jobs, and the quality of life has a significant impact on the quality of their services. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between general health and the quality of life conditions in nurses working in hospitals affiliated with Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences in Ahvaz. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive-analytic study was conducted in 2017 on nurses working in educational hospitals in Ahvaz. The sample size was 265. A categorized random sampling was used for the research The collected data were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, independent t-test, ANOVA, regresson and Pearson correlation tests. Data collection tools included the general health questionnaire (GHQ) and the questionnaire on health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Results: Nurses had fairly good general health (23.9 ± 12.4) and their health-related quality of life was moderate (60.29 ± 16.07). Their physical health (63.4 ± 22.5) was found better than their mental health (61.7 ± 20.3) as a factor in the health-related quality of life states. General health had a strong and negative correlation with the quality of life associated with physical health (P-value < 0.001 and r = - 0.61) and the quality of life associated with mental health (P-value < 0.001 and r = - 0.68). Conclusion: Many aspects of health-related quality of life are influenced by general health factors. Therefore, it is recommended that prevention, identification, and treatment of physical and psychological problems and factors affecting the quality of life be considered as a priority, leading to an improvement in nurses’ quality of life.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 ◽  
pp. 153303382110279
Author(s):  
Seng Boh Lim ◽  
Nancy Lee ◽  
Kaveh Zakeri ◽  
Peter Greer ◽  
Todsaporn Fuangrod ◽  
...  

Purpose/Objective(s): The additional personnel and imaging procedures required for Adaptive Radiation Therapy (ART) pose a challenge for a broad implementation. We hypothesize that a change in transit fluence during the treatment course is correlated with the change of quality of life and thus can be used as a replanning trigger. Materials/Methods: Twenty-one head and neck cancer (HNC) patients filled out an MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI) questionnaire, before-and-after the radiotherapy treatment course. The transit fluence was measured by the Watchdog (WD) in-vivo portal dosimetry system. The patients were monitored with daily WD and weekly CBCTs. The region of interest (ROI) of each patient was defined as the outer contour of the patient between approximate spine levels C1 to C4, essentially the neck and mandible inside the beam’s eye view. The nth day integrated transit fluence change, Δϕn, and the volume change, ΔVROI, of the ROI of each patient was calculated from the corresponding WD and CBCT measurements. The correlation between MDADI scores and age, gender, planning mean dose to salivary glands <Dsg>, weight change ΔW, ΔVROI, and Δϕn, were analyzed using the ranked-Pearson correlation. Results: No statistically significant correlation was found for age, gender and ΔW. <Dsg> was found to have clinically important correlation with functional MDADI (ρ = −0.39, P = 0.081). ΔVROI was found to have statistically significant correlation of 0.44, 0.47 and 0.44 with global, physical and functional MDADI ( P-value < 0.05). Δϕn was found to have statistically significant ranked-correlation (−0.46, −0.46 and −0.45) with physical, functional and total MDADI ( P-value < 0.05). Conclusion: A transit fluence based decision support metric (DSM) is statistically correlated with the dysphagia risk. It can not only be used as an early signal in assisting clinicians in the ART patient selection for replanning, but also lowers the resource barrier of ART implementation.


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