Association between 9p21-23 Locus and Frailty in a Community-Dwelling Greek Population: Results from the Hellenic Longitudinal Investigation of Ageing and Diet

Background: Frailty is a complex geriatric syndrome arising from a combination of genetic and environmental factors and is associated with adverse health outcomes and mortality. A recent study reported an association between variants of the 9p21-23 locus, associated with a number of age-related disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and frailty. Frailty has been associated with increased risk of developing AD and it has been proposed that frailty burden may modify AD clinical presentation. In view of the overlapping genetic architecture between the two disorders, it is noteworthy to conduct studies to uncover risk variants that contribute to both AD and frailty. The purpose of this study is to test the reproducibility of the association of 9p21-23 locus with frailty in a population that is ethnically different from previous work and in the context of multidimensional definitions of frailty that will allow us to examine the potential impact to domains pertaining to AD pathology. Methods: We operationalized frailty according two definitions and the corresponding instruments, the Frailty Index (FI) and the Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI) and we determined genotypes of eight alleles previously identified as risk increasing for frailty in 1172 community-dwelling older participants (57% females) from the HELIAD study with a mean age of 74 years old. We cross-sectionally investigated the association between risk alleles and frailty, as well as with specific components of each definition using linear regression analyses adjusted for age, sex and years of education. Results: Compared to non-carriers, carriers of rs7038172 C risk allele, were associated with a higher FI Score (β=0.089, p=0.002). Similarly, we found a positive association between the presence of at least one rs7038172 C variant and TFI score (β=0.053, p=0.04). Moreover, the rs7038172 variant was associated, irrespectively of dementia status, with the memory and psychological domain of FI and TFI, respectively. Conclusion: Our study confirms the association of the rs7038172 C allele with the frailty syndrome in a Greek population and in the context of multidimensional definitions of frailty. Furthermore, we report novel associations between this allele and the memory domain of FI and the psychological domain of TFI, that includes memory problems on its components. Given that frailty burden has been shown to modify the AD clinical presentation, it is likely that rs7038172 C allele may accelerate the transition of AD or frailty to dementia Overall, our study corroborates the role of the 9p21-23 region in frailty development and draw potential links with AD pathology.

Quality of life among Syrian refugees in Germany: a cross-sectional pilot study

Background More than 10 million Syrians have left their homes and sought refuge in neighboring countries, including Europe, since the beginning of the Syrian conflict in March 2011, and immigration continues to this day. This cross-sectional study included Syrian refugees residing in and around Hannover, Germany. We investigated whether general socioeconomic factors (e.g. age, sex, housing, asylum duration) were predictive factors for the quality of life (QOL) of Syrian refugees in Germany. Methods The QOL of Syrian refugees was assessed using the WHOQOL-BREF tool, a questionnaire assessing the QOL in four domains: Physical health, psychological, social relationships and environment. A total of 114 Syrian refugees, aged between 18 and 45 years, who obtained one of the following statuses, asylum, refugee protection or subsidiary protection, were included. The QOL domain and total scores of Syrian refugees in Germany were compared with a Western norm and Sub-Saharan population. Data were analyzed with the Spearman Rho correlation coefficient, Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney U test and multivariate linear regression. Results More than 65% of the participants (62.3% male, 37.7% female) were between 18 and 29 years old, and 45% had lived in Germany for less than four years. The lowest QOL score was reported in the social relationship’s domain (60.5%), while the psychological score was lowest in participants aged 40–45 years (P = 0.011). The age was significantly negatively associated with physical health (P = 0.010), psychological (P < 0.001) and the total QOL (P = 0.005). Asylum duration was associated with the environment domain (P = 0.040), the short-time refugees were less satisfied than the longtime refugees, and with aspects of the psychological domain in Enjoying life and Concentration ability (P < 0.001 and P = 0.033, respectively), yet was not associated with total QOL or total domain scores. There were significant associations between housing and the psychological domain (P = 0.032) and housing and the social relationship domain (P < 0.001). The refugees who living in camps registered a lower score in psychological than residents of apartments and houses, and the single refugees had a higher score than those married and divorced (P = 0.032 and P = 0.035, respectively). Conclusions The Syrian refugees participating in this study showed a low QOL score in the assessment of all domains compared to the normal population, especially regarding social relations and psychological; it was associated with socioeconomic factors, such as housing, asylum duration and marital status. This calls for urgent societal and political efforts to strengthen the social living conditions of Syrian refugees in Germany.

Long-term unmet supportive care needs of teenage and young adult (TYA) childhood brain tumour survivors and their caregivers: a cross-sectional survey

Introduction The supportive care needs of long-term childhood brain tumour survivors, now teenagers and young adults (TYAs), and their caregivers are largely unknown. We aimed to describe their supportive care needs and explore associations between needs and quality of life (QoL). Methods Participants were recruited from long-term follow-up clinics (in three NHS Trusts in England) and online. Participants included childhood brain tumour survivors, ≥ 5 years from diagnosis, currently aged 13–30, and their primary caregivers. Survivors completed the Supportive Care Needs Survey (SCNS) Short Form and caregivers the SCNS-Partners & Caregivers, alongside validated QoL questionnaires (Peds-FACT-Br and CQOLC). Results In total, 112 individuals (69 survivors/43 caregivers) participated. Survivors reported on average 9.4 (± 8.5) unmet needs. Needs were greatest in the psychological domain, with anxiety (60.3%), uncertainty about the future (50.7%) and feeling down and depressed (48.5%) most commonly reported. Caregivers reported on average 12.4 (± 12.3) unmet needs. Again, the greatest number of unmet needs was observed in the psychological domain. Many caregivers also reported information needs around financial support/government benefits (42.9%) and possible survivor fertility problems (42.9%). Multivariable linear regression analysis showed that female survivors, unemployed survivors, survivors further away from diagnosis and single caregivers were more likely to report unmet needs. More unmet needs were significantly associated with poorer QoL in survivors and caregivers. Conclusion This research provides leads to improving supportive care and long-term follow-up services. Psychological support represents the biggest gap in care. Understanding unmet needs and recognising what services are required are critical to improving quality of long-term survival.

Quality of Life of Primary Healthcare Centres Physicians in BURAIDAH City 2020, a Study Using WHOQOL-BREF Questionnaire

Background: Life of doctors puts them at a high level of challenges and stress which can affect their quality of life. Therefore, the objective of the study was to evaluate the Quality Of Life of Primary health care providers by applying a brief version of the World Health Organization questionnaire for assessing Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF). To find the factors which affect the QOL of PHC physicians and know the aspects where it was affecting the health and performance of the Doctors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 186 physicians working in primary health care centers in BURAIDAH city under Ministry Of Health. WHOQOL BREF validated questionnaire was used in both English and Arabic versions. Data was entered and cleaned in SPSS 21.0 version and necessary statistical tests were applied. Results: In the present study, about 29.6% were females and 70.4% were males. About 66.6% of the study population were in 30-49 years age group and half (48.4%) of them were general practitioners. Mean QOL score in psychological domain (domain 2) was 63.66. In the other three domains of physical health, social relationships and environmental domain (domain 1, 3 & 4) was scoring more than 65. There was a statistically significant association observed between age and physical ,psychological health domains. This association was also seen between marital status and psychological, social domains. Conclusions: Based on the results, on the whole, the majority of primary health care doctors had a moderate quality of life score to a high quality of life score ranging from 63.66-68.06. Still, there is a scope of improvement in domain 2 (psychological domain).

Relationship between quality of life and food consumption among gym physical activity practitioners

Background The concern related quality of life has awakened in society the search for a healthier lifestyle, through physical activity and better eating habits. Gym practitioners are particularly predisposed to the pursuit of well-being and quality and life. To analyse the relationship between the adequacy of food consumption and the quality of life among gym practitioners. Methods Data collection was carried out in a single moment through an online questionnaire. Information about age, gender, geographic region, educational level, food consumption and quality of life was collected. To characterize food consumption Portuguese food guide were used, and for the characterization of quality of life, the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire was applied. Results There were no differences in quality of life (total score) related to the adequacy of the seven groups of Portuguese food guide. The same is not true for the different quality of life domains. Individuals who consume ‘Legumes’ above the recommended are those with the best psychological domain score (P = 0.010). Individuals who have a consumption above the recommended of the groups ‘Cereals, derivatives and Tubers’ and ‘Fats and oils’ have a better score in the social domain, respectively (P = 0.025) and (P = 0.020). The individuals with a water intake above the recommended were those who obtained a higher score in all domains: the physical domain (P = 0.003), psychological domain (P &lt; 0.001), social domain (P = 0.002) and environmental domain (P = 0.002). Conclusions Food consumption seems not influence quality of life of gym practitioners, however future research should be conducted to clarify some associations related to proper domains.

Association between depression, anxiety, stress and perceived quality of life in a Malaysian B40 urban community during the COVID-19 lockdown: A cross-sectional study

Background: In Malaysia, B40 communities are those with a median monthly household earning of under RM 3166. With the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdown, the livelihoods of those in these areas has been severely impacted. This has increased their vulnerability to psychological afflictions and has led to a poorer perception of their quality of life (QoL) in comparison to the rest of the population. We investigated the association between perceived levels of depression, anxiety and stress and their impact on quality of life (QoL) among B40 residents in a low-cost urban housing area in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between July 2020 and February 2021 in the Seri Pantai housing settlement. The validated Malay versions of the depression, anxiety, and stress scale-21 (DASS-21) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life, brief (WHOQOL-BREF) were distributed to the participants using Google forms. The statistical significance of the association between subscales of depression, anxiety, stress and QoL domains were assessed using the Pearson’s correlation test. Results: Of the 180 participants, the majority were Malays (87.2%) and females (82.2%). The average scores were the highest for stress (5.66 ± 4.59) and the score in the environment domain of QoL (59.27 ± 17.23) was the lowest. A statistically significant negative correlation was found between the subscales of DASS-21 and the four domains of the QoL, with the social relationships and psychological domains showing a highly significant association (p < 0.001). The strongest correlation was observed between the psychological domain and depression (r= -.520) followed by psychological domain and stress (r= -.496). Conclusion: The strongest correlation was observed between psychological domain and depression. This suggests a need to address potential devastating mental health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on the QoL of residents in B40 communities.

Postmenopausal Symptoms and Their Correlates among Saudi Women Attending Different Primary Health Centers

(1) Background and objectives: Due to increasing life expectancy, more than one-third of women’s life can be spent in the postmenopausal period. In this period, women have different somatic, psychological, and urogenital symptoms. The present study was done to evaluate postmenopausal symptoms and their correlations among Saudi women attending different primary health centers. (2) Methods: adopting a cross-sectional study was done among 845 postmenopausal women attending different primary health centers. The menopause rating scale (MRS) was utilized to investigate the prevalence and severity of different menopausal manifestations. Data collection was done using a structured anonymous questionnaire disseminated during face-to-face interviews. Analysis of data was done utilizing the SPSS program, version 24. (3) Results: The total MRS score was 15.68 ± 6.85. The mean score of the subscales were: 5.56 ± 2.78 for the somatic domain, 6.04 ± 2.89 for the psychological domain, and 4.08 ± 2.32 for the urogenital domain. Joint and muscle pain (25.2%) and sleep problems (18.6%) were the most prevalent severe/very severe somatic symptoms. The most severe/very severe symptoms of the psychological domain were mental and physical exhaustion (20.2%) and depressed mode (19.2%), while that of the urogenital domain were sexual problems (20.1%) and bladder problems (16.3%). Significant predictors of the subscales of MRS were sociodemographic characteristics such as age, residence, marital status, educational level, and occupation. Furthermore, history of chronic diseases, parity, and menopause duration were significant predictors of the subscales of MRS. (4) Conclusion: women in the present study experience different postmenopausal symptoms. Health care providers should consider this crucial stage of women’s life to help elderly women manage these different postmenopausal manifestations.

Influence of Frailty Syndrome on Kinesiophobia According to the Gender of Patients after Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery

(1) Background: Kinesiophobia is associated with fear of movement, general fitness exercises, and physical or mental discomfort. In patients with frailty syndrome, in addition to coexisting conditions, the postoperative recovery period may be longer than in patients without frailty; (2) Methods: The study included 108 people over 60 years of age, qualified for CABG (coronary artery bypass grafting). The Tilburg Frailty Index was used to assess frailty syndrome and the kinesiophobia scale was to assess fear of physical activity; (3) Results: Frailty syndrome was diagnosed among 19.44% of respondents. The social components of frailty were more intense in the group of women p = 0.009. The mean results for the biological and psychological domain on the scale of kinesiophobia were 1.94 and 1.6. The level of kinesiophobia was higher among women than among men taking into account the psychological domain (p = 0.006) and the subdomains: motor skills self-assessment (p = 0.042) and body care (p = 0.011); (4) Conclusions: Frailty syndrome does not affect kinesiophobia among patients after CABG. The level of kinesiophobia was higher among women than among men, taking into account the psychological domain. The greater the energy resources, the lower the level of frailty and its physical components in the group of women.

QUALITY OF LIFE OF ADULT PATIENTS WITH DETRUSOR SPHINCTER DYSSYNERGIAAND HYPOCONTRACTILE BLADDER USING SELF INTERMITTENT CATHETERIZATION: 14 FRENCH VERSUS 12 FRENCH CATHETER

OBJECTIVE: To compare the impact of catheter size 14 French vs 12 French on quality of life of patients using Clean intermittent selfcatheterization. SUBJECTInclusion criteria patients using CISC for neurogenic (DSD) bladder, hypo contractile bladder. Exclusion criteria patient with urethral stricture, history of urethral, bladder, or prostate surgery, pediatric patients. METHODS: It was a comparative, observational, study which comprised of total 40 patients diagnosed with neurogenic bladder (detrusor sphincter dyssynergia), hypo contractile bladder, out of which 20 patients were given 12french catheter and 20 patients were given 14 French catheters as per coin randomization method. The patients were assessed for quality of life by using WHO QoL-BREF. T- test was utilised to compare the mean. p<o.05 was taken to be statistically signicant. RESULTS: In physical domain the mean score was higher in patients using 12 French catheter (56.01) compared with patients using 14 French catheter (55.1) but difference was statistically insignicant with p-value (0.688). In Psychological domain the mean score was higher in patients using 12 French catheters (63.90) compared with patients using 14 French catheters (63.30) with p-value (0.793). In Social relationships domain the mean score was higher in patients using 14 French catheters (62.20) compared with patients using 12 French catheters (61.55) but difference was statistically insignicant with p-value (0.855). similarly in the social relationships domain the mean score was higher in patients using 14 French catheter (58.65) compared with patients using 12 French catheter (58.53) with p-value 0.935. CONCLUSION: Higher score in physical and psychological domain implies less pain, greater treatment compliance and improving the patient's QoL, but higher score observed in physical and psychological domain was statistically insignicant. Based on above study we concluded that there was no signicant difference in quality of life of patients using 12 French or 14 French for CISC.

Quality of life evaluation among patients with coronary heart disease at secondary hospital, Yogyakarta

Background: Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a progressive disease that continues to increase every year in Indonesia so it becomes a problem and a threat to the community. CHD has several factors that affect the quality of life, both in terms of physical, social, psychological, and environmental. The purpose of this research is to illustrate domain WHOQOL-BREFF and SAQ-7 to the quality of life of CHD which is undergoing outpatient at one of Secondary Hospital in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.Methods: This observational study was involving all patients with CHD who came to the Cardiology Outpatient Department during 4 months study period. There were 90 patients who met with eligibility criteria and willing to participate in the study. The SAQ-7 and WHOQOL-BREFF were used to measure the quality of life among the participants.Results: Generally, all the participants in this study considered in the high quality of life even they had been diagnosed with CHD. Among all the participants, surprisingly 97% participants by WHOQOL-BREF and 91% participants by SAQ-7 reported in the high score of quality of life. The most supported factor for their quality of life defined by WHOQOL-BREF was the Psychological domain with r=0.870 and the Treatment Satisfaction with r=0.830 defined by SAQ-7.Conclusions: The highest supportive factor for patient’s quality of life with carrying CHD were the psychological domain and their treatment satisfaction.