Developing and Evaluating Non-invasive Healthcare Technologies for a Group of Female Participants from a Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Area

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eman Awad ◽  
Rathi Ramji ◽  
Stefan Cirovic ◽  
Margareta Rämgård ◽  
Anders Kottorp ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Blood Pressure Monitoring ◽  
World Health ◽  
Biomedical Data ◽  
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged ◽  
Disadvantaged Area ◽  
Swedish Population ◽  
World Health Organization Quality ◽  
Non Invasive

Abstract Background When compared to the general population, socioeconomically disadvantaged communities frequently experience compromised health. Monitoring the divide is challenging since in general, standardized biomedical tests are linguistically and culturally inappropriate. The aim of this study was to develop a novel healthcare technology for its usage in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas.Methods A unique mobile biomedical testbed based on non-invasive analysis, accompanied with the World Health Organization Quality of Life survey, was developed. This healthcare approach was used in Lindängen, a socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhood in Malmö, which has been listed as one of the twelve most vulnerable neighborhoods in Sweden. Results The less intrusive biomedical approach, compared to conventional setups used, e.g., wrist blood pressure monitoring, bioimpedance analysis and cardiovascular diagnostics, non-invasive determination of blood bioanalytes, was highly appreciated by the participants, i.e., 39 female volunteers of Middle Eastern origin. Surprisingly, the collected biomedical data illustrated that the apparent health of the participants from Lindängen was comparable to the general Swedish population. The Quality of Life-BREF survey, used to gather information regarding subjective health perceptions within the cohort, combined with advanced statistical data analysis, revealed statistically significant correlations between perceived health and biomedical data. Even though the dependences found were complex, the recognition of which is essential in further research. Conclusions Our results validate the potential of non-invasive technologies in combination with advanced statistical analysis, especially when combined with linguistically and culturally appropriate healthcare methodologies, allowing participants to appreciate the significance of the different parameters to evaluate and monitor aspects of health.

scholarly journals Developing and evaluating non-invasive healthcare technologies for a group of female participants from a socioeconomically disadvantaged area

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eman Awad ◽  
Rathi Ramji ◽  
Stefan Cirovic ◽  
Margareta Rämgård ◽  
Anders Kottorp ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Subjective Health ◽  
World Health ◽  
Biomedical Data ◽  
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged ◽  
Disadvantaged Area ◽  
Swedish Population ◽  
World Health Organization Quality ◽  
Objective Health ◽  
Non Invasive

AbstractWhen compared to the general population, socioeconomically disadvantaged communities frequently experience compromised health. Monitoring the divide is challenging since standardized biomedical tests are linguistically and culturally inappropriate. The aim of this study was to develop and test a unique mobile biomedical testbed based on non-invasive analysis, as well as to explore the relationships between the objective health measures and subjective health outcomes, as evaluated with the World Health Organization Quality of Life survey. The testbed was evaluated in a socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhood in Malmö, which has been listed as one of the twelve most vulnerable districts in Sweden. The study revealed that compared to conventional protocols the less intrusive biomedical approach was highly appreciated by the participants. Surprisingly, the collected biomedical data illustrated that the apparent health of the participants from the ethnically diverse low-income neighborhood was comparable to the general Swedish population. Statistically significant correlations between perceived health and biomedical data were disclosed, even though the dependences found were complex, and recognition of the manifest complexity needs to be included in further research. Our results validate the potential of non-invasive technologies in combination with advanced statistical analysis, especially when combined with linguistically and culturally appropriate healthcare methodologies, allowing participants to appreciate the significance of the different parameters to evaluate and monitor aspects of health.

Alexithyme Patientenmerkmale und Lebensqualität – Eine Querschnittsstudie an 79 ambulanten Patienten mit Angststörungen

2013 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katrin Leenen ◽  
Michael Rufer ◽  
Hanspeter Moergeli ◽  
Hans-Jörgen Grabe ◽  
Josef Jenewein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
World Health ◽  
Life Questionnaire ◽  
World Health Organization Quality ◽  
Fand Sich ◽  
Quality Of Life Questionnaire ◽  
Organization Quality ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Tas 20

Aus Untersuchungen in der Normalbevölkerung ist bekannt, dass Menschen mit erhöhten Alexithymiewerten eine verminderte Lebensqualität (LQ) aufweisen. Für Patienten mit psychischen Störungen wurde dieser Zusammenhang jedoch kaum untersucht. Ziel dieser Studie war es, den möglichen Zusammenhang zwischen alexithymen Patientenmerkmalen und der LQ bei Patienten mit Angststörungen zu überprüfen. Bei 79 ambulanten Patienten mit Angststörungen wurden alexithyme Charakteristika mit der Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), die LQ mit der Kurzversion des World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire 100 (WHOQOL-BREF) erfasst. Darüber hinaus fand eine Erhebung der psychischen Symptombelastung (SCL-90-R) und depressiven Symptomatik (MADRS) statt. Mittels hierarchischer Regressionsanalysen wurde der Zusammenhang zwischen der alexithymen Charakteristika und den unterschiedlichen LQ-Domänen berechnet. Die Patienten zeigten eine im Vergleich zur Normalbevölkerung deutlich verminderte LQ. Als Hauptergebnis fand sich, auch nach Kontrolle von Depression, Ängstlichkeit und Geschlecht, ein signifikanter Zusammenhang zwischen den beiden TAS-20 Subskalen Schwierigkeiten, Gefühle zu identifizieren und zu beschreiben und vor allem der psychischen LQ. Unsere Ergebnisse sprechen dafür, bei der Diagnostik und Therapieplanung von Patienten mit Angststörungen alexithyme Merkmale einzubeziehen. Im Falle von ausgeprägten alexithymen Merkmalen sollten psychotherapeutische Interventionen zur Verbesserung der Schwierigkeiten Gefühle wahrzunehmen und zu kommunizieren in Betracht gezogen werden.

Glittre ADL test in eutrophic, overweight and obese elderly

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 49
Author(s):  
Augusto Baumhardt Guidoti ◽  
Ângelo Pereira Cattani ◽  
Cintia Laura De Araujo ◽  
Fernanda Beatriz Costa Delacoste ◽  
Guilherme Scotta Hentschke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Functional Capacity ◽  
Elderly Women ◽  
Handgrip Strength ◽  
Exercise Intolerance ◽  
World Health ◽  
Chronic Obstructive ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
World Health Organization Quality

The Glittre ADL-test (TGlittre) has been designed and validated to measure functional capacity during daily living activities in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) but is now used in several other situations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the applicability of TGlittre in a sample of overweight and obese eutrophic elderly. This was an experimental and cross-sectional study, which included 21 elderly women, allocated by BMI, in eutrophic (n = 8), overweight (n = 6) and obese (n = 7) groups. They were assessed for functional capacity (TGlittre and 6MWT), quality of life (QOL) with the questionnaire World Health Organization Quality of Life for Older People (WHOQOL-OLD) and handgrip strength (HGS). TGlittre correlated with age (p = 0.0040) and with 6MWT (p = 0.0086), but no statistical difference was found in TGlittre's performance time and the distance covered in 6MWT between groups. TGlittre did not correlate with HGS (p = 0.1493) and WHOQOL-Old (p = 0.0905). The data obtained in the present study corroborate that TGlittre is used as a functional measurement variable in the elderly population.Keywords: aged, obesity, exercise intolerance.­­­

scholarly journals Quality of life in patients with narcolepsy: a WHOQOL-bref study

2008 ◽  
Vol 66 (2a) ◽  
pp. 163-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heloísa Rovere ◽  
Sueli Rossini ◽  
Rubens Reimão
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Patient Group ◽  
World Health ◽  
Control Group ◽  
World Health Organization Quality ◽  
Severe Impairment ◽  
Perception Of Quality ◽  
Social Domains ◽  
Health Organization

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the perception of Quality of Life (QL) in Brazilian patients with narcolepsy. METHOD: 40 adult patients aged between 20 and 72 years (mean=41.55; SD=14.50); (28 F; 12M), with the diagnosis of chronic narcolepsy were followed up at the outpatient clinic (Patient Group). The Control Group was composed of 40 adults. The instrument utilized was the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF). RESULTS: The two groups were homogeneous and no difference was found with regards to age, sex, and demographic characteristics. The perception of QL in physical, psychological and social domains showed lower scores in those patients with narcolepsy than in the control group (p<0.05). Concerning physical domain, all the aspects evaluated were significantly impaired, in patient group, including sleep satisfaction (p<0.001); energy for daily activities (p=0.039); capacity to perform activities (p=0.001); and capacity to work (p=0.001). CONCLUSION: The perception of QL showed severe impairment in patients with narcolepsy for physical, psychological and social domains.

scholarly journals Exploring Quality of Life, Stress, and Risk Factors Associated with Irritable Bowel Syndrome for Female University Students in Taiwan

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (8) ◽  
pp. 3888
Author(s):  
Huan-Hwa Chen ◽  
Chich-Hsiu Hung ◽  
Ai-Wen Kao ◽  
Hsiu-Fen Hsieh
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Irritable Bowel Syndrome ◽  
University Students ◽  
Life Stress ◽  
Female Students ◽  
World Health ◽  
World Health Organization Quality ◽  
Irritable Bowel

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common recurrent functional gastrointestinal disorder that impacts on patients physically and mentally. Studies on IBS have focused on adults, yet few studies have examined IBS among female university students. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of IBS for female university students and its related factors. Using a cross-sectional study design, a total of 2520 female university students were recruited in southern Taiwan. The structured questionnaires, including the Rome III IBS diagnostic questionnaire, IBS symptom severity scale, Perceived Stress Scale, and World Health Organization Quality of Life BREF questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF) were used for data collection. A total of 1894 female students complete the questionnaires. The response rate was 75.15%. The results indicated 193 female students with IBS and the prevalence of IBS was 10.1%. IBS female students had higher levels of stress and lower QOL than non-IBS female students. The risk factors for female university students developing IBS were dysmenorrhea, food avoidance, class absenteeism, and the lower physical domain of QOL. It is advised to consider these factors when providing students with counselling and relevant services in the expectation of alleviating their IBS symptoms, reducing the incidence rate of IBS, and further improving their QOL.

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

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 289 ◽  
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.

Family burden and quality of life of mothers of children and adolescents with mental retardation or borderline mental capacity

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. S192-S192
Author(s):  
L. Utas Akhan
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Mental Capacity ◽  
World Health ◽  
Family Burden ◽  
Disabled Children ◽  
World Health Organization Quality ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Family

IntroductionStudies have found that the cognitive function levels of intellectually challenged children add a burden to the family and affect quality of life.ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to determine the family burden felt by mothers of children, ages 6–16, whose mental capacity evaluation indicates an IQ of 35–79 to explore the mother's quality of life and discover the factors that yield an impact in this context.AimsThe main objective of this study therefore was to ascertain the family burden and quality of life experienced by the parents of children with mentally retarded or borderline mental capacity.MethodsThe WISC-R test was used in the research to determine the intellectual capacity of children, 6–16 years of age. The sample comprised 131 children and adolescents between the ages 6–16 with IQs in the interval of 35–79 and their mothers. The parents accompanying their children were assessed using the Family Burden Assessment Scale, the World Health Organization Quality of Life instrument and a sociodemographic questionnaire that was filled out during face-to-face interviews.ResultsThe quality of life of the mothers was found to be average. At the same time, as the IQ level of the children went up, the less the mothers felt they were under a family burden. It was seen that the mothers experienced the most difficulty in the domains of “perception of inadequacy” and “emotional burden.”ConclusionMothers with intellectually disabled children need psychosocial support. Providing all members of the family with counseling services to help them cope with the issues and responsibilities involved in the care of disabled children may make a significant difference in quality of life.Disclosure of interestThe author has not supplied his/her declaration of competing interest.

scholarly journals Implicações do uso do Aparelho de Amplificação Sonora Individual na qualidade de vida de idosos

CoDAS ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Camila Zorzetto Carniel ◽  
Juliana Cristina Ferreira de Sousa ◽  
Carla Dias da Silva ◽  
Carla Aparecida de Urzedo Fortunato-Queiroz ◽  
Miguel Ângelo Hyppolito ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
World Health Organization ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
World Health ◽  
World Health Organization Quality ◽  
Hearing Handicap ◽  
Organization Quality ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Post Hoc

RESUMO Objetivo Avaliar, por meio de questionários padronizados, a qualidade de vida de idosos com deficiência auditiva diagnosticada que utilizam ou não a prótese auditiva (AASI) e de idosos sem queixa auditiva. Método Trata-se de um estudo transversal, com amostra não probabilística, distribuída em três grupos divididos da seguinte forma: 30 idosos com perda auditiva diagnosticada e com indicação para uso do aparelho de amplificação sonora individual (AASI), mas que ainda não faziam uso da prótese; 30 idosos com deficiência auditiva que usavam o AASI; e 30 idosos sem queixa auditiva. Os participantes completaram um questionário que investigava dados sociodemográficos e familiares, o Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly Screening Version (HHIE-S) e o World Health Organization Quality of Life - versão breve (WHOQOL-Breve). Além das análises descritivas dos dados, foram realizados testes para comparação dos três grupos, aplicando-se a análise de variância (ANOVA) e o teste post hoc de Bonferroni. Resultados Os três grupos se diferenciaram significativamente em todos os domínios de qualidade de vida. O grupo de idosos com perda auditiva diagnosticada e com indicação para uso do AASI apresentou menores escores que o grupo de idosos com deficiência auditiva que usavam o AASI e que o grupo de referência. O grupo com AASI apresentou os melhores resultados de qualidade de vida. Conclusão A perda auditiva afeta a qualidade de vida do idoso. O uso efetivo da prótese auditiva é benéfico a esta população, melhorando suas condições de vida e saúde.

scholarly journals Magnesium level correlation with clinical status and quality of life in women with hormone related conditions and pregnancy based on real world data

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Svetlana Orlova ◽  
Galina Dikke ◽  
Gisele Pickering ◽  
Eliso Djobava ◽  
Sofya Konchits ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Clinical Status ◽  
High Response Rate ◽  
World Health ◽  
Life Questionnaire ◽  
Real World Data ◽  
World Health Organization Quality ◽  
Patient Reported ◽  
Health Organization

AbstractThis study was aimed to assess the effectiveness of magnesium (Mg)-vitamin B 6 replenishment and its correlation with clinical status in pregnant women (PW), and quality of life in women with hormone-related conditions (HRCW) and hypomagnesemia (HME). Data collected in four observational studies were pooled and analysed. All women received Mg supplementation for 4 weeks. The proportion of women with normalized Mg level, and the correlation between serum Mg dynamics and number of symptoms/complaints (PW) or changes in World Health Organization quality of life questionnaire scores (WHOQOL; HRCW) were evaluated. 869 PW and 957 HRCW were included in the study. Normalization of serum Mg level to ≥ 0.66 mmol/L occurred in 92.1% of PW and 78.4% of HRCW, and to ≥ 0.8 mmol/L in 73.8% and 58.9%, respectively. Mg normalization was accompanied by a median decrease of 1 symptom and 1 complaint in PW. Serum Mg level increase by 0.1 mmol/L was associated to significant changes in the WHOQOL scores in HRCW. Treatment of HME with the Mg for approximately 4 weeks provided a high response rate of Mg serum level, was associated with an improvement in symptom severity and complaints in PW, and WHOQOL score in HRCW. A 0.8 mmol/L cut-off appeared to be more relevant in terms of patient-reported outcomes.

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