scholarly journals Determinants of Quality of Life after Stroke in Southern Portugal: A Cross Sectional Community-Based Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 1509
Author(s):  
Eva Lourenço ◽  
Mário Rui dos Mártires Sampaio ◽  
Hipólito Nzwalo ◽  
Emília Isabel Costa ◽  
José Luis Sánchez Ramos
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Family Income ◽  
World Health ◽  
Stroke Survivors ◽  
Community Based ◽  
World Health Organization Quality ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Southern Portugal ◽  
The Impact

Introduction: the perception of Quality of Life (QoL) has been used to evaluate the treatment and evolution of several pathologies. QoL evaluation allows a better understanding of the patient and his adaptation to the disease. An observational, community-based and descriptive correlational study was carried out to analyze stroke survivors’ perception of QoL. Methods: consecutive case-series of stroke survivors (≥3 months) followed in a single public primary health center (“Tavira Primary Health Centre”) from Algarve, southern Portugal. The Portuguese version of the World Health Organization Quality of life instrument was administered in 102 stroke survivors. Results: Perception of QoL was associated (p < 0.05) with specific sociodemographic (age, sex, marital status, academic training), economic (monthly family income) and clinical factors (number of vascular risk factors, type of stroke, evolution, chronic mRankin score). On multivariate analysis, chronic mRankin score on physical (R2 = 0.406; F = 8.757; p < 0.001), psychological (R2 = 0.286; F = 5.536; p < 0.001) and general domain (R2 = 0.357; F = 7.287; p < 0.001); and family income (R2 = 0.160; F = 3.156; p < 0.005) on environmental domain, emerged as predictors of QoL. Conclusion: Different socio-demographic, economic and health factors are associated with post-stroke QoL. Description of QoL contributes to the overall evaluation of the impact of stroke on health and should be a priority for health professionals.

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.

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

2020 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Stanisz ◽  
Ewelina Kolak ◽  
Dorota Branecka-Woźniak ◽  
Renata Robaszkiewicz-Boukaz ◽  
Przemysław Ciepiela ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Breast Reconstruction ◽  
Great Influence ◽  
Well Being ◽  
World Health ◽  
World Health Organization Quality ◽  
Reconstruction Surgery ◽  
The Impact

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.

scholarly journals Correlation between quality of life and burden of family caregivers of infants with cleft lip and palate

2019 ◽  
Vol 53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marli Luiz Beluci ◽  
Cleide Carolina da Silva Demoro Mondini ◽  
Armando dos Santos Trettene ◽  
Rosana Aparecida Spadoti Dantas
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Cleft Lip ◽  
Family Income ◽  
Cleft Lip And Palate ◽  
World Health ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
World Health Organization Quality ◽  
Environment Domain

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the correlation between measures of quality of life and burden in family caregivers of infants with cleft lip and palate and to analyze possible associations between quality of life and sociodemographic variables. Method: Exploratory, cross-sectional study conducted in hospital specialized in the treatment of craniofacial anomalies, with caregivers who answered the following data collection instruments: sociodemographic characterization form, World Health Organization Quality of Life - BREF questionnaire and the Burden Interview Scale. The statistical analysis was conducted using the Pearson’s Correlation test, the Student’s t-test and the ANOVA test with a level of significance of 0.05. Results: 77 caregivers participated in the study. There was an inverse correlation between quality of life and burden in the Physical Health, Psychological, Social Relationships and Environment domains. There was a positive correlation between quality of life and family income in the Environment domain. Conclusion: The greater the burden on the caregiver, the lower was their perception of quality of life. Caregivers with higher family income and greater level of education presented a better perception quality of life in the Environment domain.

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

2005 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 227-242 ◽  
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.

scholarly journals Quality of life of patients with unipolar depression

2010 ◽  
Vol 63 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 113-116 ◽  
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.

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

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.

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

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.

scholarly journals Quality of Life and Disability in Stroke Survivors

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 227-233
Author(s):  
Dayana Shakya ◽  
Rosy Chaudhary ◽  
Dipesh Shakya ◽  
Bikram Shakya
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Barthel Index ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Family Income ◽  
World Health ◽  
Stroke Survivors ◽  
Stroke Patients ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
School Work

Background: With advancing treatment of stroke patients, their mortality has decreased but morbidity and disability has increased. Hence, it becomes increasingly important to find the measures to improve these areas. The study aims to assess the quality of life (QOL) and disability in stroke survivors at least six months post stroke. Methods: Descriptive, cross sectional design was used to assess the QOL and disability in stroke patients attending Neuromedicine and Neurosurgery out-patient departments of Kathmandu Medical College. Data was collected purposively using interview from 155 respondents. QOL was assessed using Health Related Quality of Life in Stroke Patients (HRQOLISP-40) and disability was measured by using World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0). Analysis was done using Pearson’s correlation and Mann Whitney U test. Results: The QOL was found to be best in the ‘ecosocial’ and worst in the ‘soul’ domain. In disability, patients scored the best in ‘Getting along with people’ and ‘self-care’ domains and worst in the ‘life activities: school/ work’ domain. Respondents with hemorrhagic stroke, only one admission and those who did not exercise had better QOL. Patients with less than 10 years of formal education, those not earning and those with comorbidities had more disability. Correlation analysis showed better QOL with lesser age, higher monthly family income and higher Barthel index whereas higher disability was found in respondents with higher age and lower Barthel index. Conclusions: Disability in stroke patients needs to be addressed inorder to improve their QOL. The domains affected should be given attention during rehabilitation of stroke patients.

scholarly journals Depressive Symptoms and Quality of Life in a Sample of Italian Women with a Diagnosis of Fibromyalgia: The Role of Attachment Styles

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Cristina Sechi ◽  
Loredana Lucarelli ◽  
Laura Vismara
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
World Health ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
Life Questionnaire ◽  
World Health Organization Quality ◽  
Italian Women ◽  
The Impact

Background. Women with fibromyalgia (FM) commonly suffer from depression, pervasive fatigue, and pain. The attachment style has been hypothesized to be an important factor for understanding the experience of these symptoms. Therefore, the present cross-sectional study is aimed at investigating the effect of attachment styles in women with a diagnosis of FM on depressive symptoms and quality of life. Method. Participants were 453 Italian women with a physician’s diagnosis of FM with a mean age of 47 years ( SD = 10.9 ). To assess attachment styles, quality of life, and depressive symptoms, women responded, respectively, to the Relationship Questionnaire, the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire, and the Beck Depression Inventory II. Results. Our results showed that the incidence of depressive symptoms was elevated, with 59% of women reporting moderate to severe symptoms. Also, the statistical analyses showed that both preoccupied and avoidant/dismissing attachments were related with depression symptoms and low perception of QoL. Conclusions. Our study demonstrates that, when evaluating the impact of FM on the QoL of women, it is important to consider the complexity of the variables that are at play. Insecure attachment styles and depressive symptoms seem to increase the likelihood of the psycho-social-somatic malaise in FM women.

scholarly journals ASSOCIATION OF LEVEL OF BURDEN AND QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG HOME-BASED THERAPISTS OF STROKE SURVIVORS

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-28
Author(s):  
Maha Khan
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Developed Countries ◽  
World Health ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Stroke Survivors ◽  
World Health Organization Quality ◽  
Healthcare Needs ◽  
Home Based

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVES The incidence of stroke is high among the Pakistani population as compared to developed countries. Studies concluded that home based rehabilitation therapy increases the quality of life of survivors; however, it also increases the burden on rehabilitation therapists. Thus, this study aims to investigate the association between the level of burden and quality of the therapist’s life to address health-related outcomes STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional survey. STUDY SETTINGS & PARTICIPANTS Total numbers of 100 therapists working in home-based rehabilitation were selected through the non-probability sampling technique. The data was collected through the World Health Organization Quality Of Life (WHQoL) questionnaire and Zarit Burden Interview. RESULTS A total number of 150 participants enrolled in the study, which comprised of 50 males and 100 females with a mean age of 25.8±5.14 years, while 50 refused to participate. The results show no significant association between the level of burden and quality of life. On the WHOQoL scale, 39% of the participants showed moderate to severe level of burden, 21% had mild to moderate burden while 19% had a level of severe burden. CONCLUSION Home-based therapy for stroke survivors has shown beneficial impact by implementing client-centred practice, however it also increases the burden on the caretakers and therapy service providers. The participants of the recent study have an average quality of life and an increased level of burden therefore, further studies are required to address the healthcare needs of therapists working in a home-based setting to improve health outcomes of both the therapist and the patient.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document