The objective of the study was to analyse and compare the subjective quality of life (S-QoL) of women with physical disabilities (PDs) through satisfaction with the quality of life domains and the ...overall quality of life assessment.
The sample comprised of women with PDs (n=137), divided into 4 age categories: 19-29 yrs. (n=53); 30-44 yrs. (n=25); 45-59 yrs. (n=24) and over 60 yrs. (n=35). The Subjective Quality of Life Analyses questionnaire and the WHO User Manual were used as a primary research method. The Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test was used to assess the differences between QoLDs, Kruskal Wallis test to assess differences in S-QoL among four independent groups and Mann Whitney U-test between two age categories.
The highest satisfaction in all age categories of women was found in the social relations domain, and in the 19-29 yr-old women equally in the social relations and physical health domains. The highest dissatisfaction was reported with the psychological health and environment domains. The key finding is that the main differences are between the youngest category (aged 19-29 yrs) and the three older categories with regard to physical health, environment and overall QoL.
It is necessary to continue this line of research with a greater focus on exploring the ways in which the psychological health domain can be improved as an integral part of S-QoL, and to also focus on the QoL indicators that make up the environment domain and search for ways to enhance these.
The loss of quality of life is the major consequence following a non-fatal road traffic accident (RTA). Previous research regarding quality of life did not include uninjured RTA survivors. The ...research aim was thus to evaluate the quality of life of the RTA survivors regardless of whether or not they sustained injures, and to identify factors associated with decreased quality of life after the RTA.
A cohort of 200 RTA survivors with and without injuries was followed after experiencing an RTA. The quality of life and mental health outcomes were assessed 1 month following RTA. A vast range of sociodemographic, pre-RTA health-related, RTA related, RTA injury-related, compensation-related factors and mental health outcomes were investigated.
Decreased quality of life following an RTA showed an association with the low socioeconomic status of the RTA victims, poor pre-RTA health, injury-related factors, compensation-related factors and psychological disorders after the RTA.
Identifying predictors of decreased quality of life following an RTA will enable planning interventions targeting the most important factors that influence recovery of RTA victims. Assessing and recording of self-reported quality of life should be a part of the routine protocol in RTA survivors' health-care.
Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is measuring a patient's experience of his health status and represents an outcome of medical interventions. Existing data proves that a healthy lifestyle is ...positively associated with HRQoL in all age groups. Patients with a high risk for cardiovascular disease typically led an unhealthy lifestyle combined with risk diseases. We aimed to analyse these characteristics and their reflection in HRQoL.
A cross-sectional study in 36 family practices, stratified by location and size. Each practice invited 30 high-risk patients from the register. Data were obtained from medical records and patient questionnaire. The EQ-5D questionnaire and the VAS scale were used for measuring the patient's HRQoL as an independent variable.
871 patients (80.6% response rate) were included in the analysis. 60.0% had 3-4 uncontrolled risk factors for CVD. The average VAS scale was 63.2 (SD 19.4). The correlation of EQ-5D was found in the number of visits in the practice (r=-0.31, p<0.001), the socioeconomic status (r=-0.25, p=0.001), age (r=-0.27, p=0.001) and healthy diet (r=0.20, p=0.006). In a multivariate model, only physical activity among lifestyle characteristics was an independent predictor of HRQoL (p=0.001, t=3.3), along with the frequency of visits (p<0.001, t=-5.3) and age (p=0.025, t=-2.2).
This study has been performed on a specific group of patients, not being "really sick", but having less optimal lifestyle in many cases. Encouragement to improve or keep healthy lifestyle, especially physical activity, is important, not only to lower the risk for CVD, but also to improve HRQoL.
Oskrba bolnika ob koncu življenja skuša doseči dva cilja: bolniku omogočiti najboljšo kakovost življenja (umiranja) in poskrbeti za svojce. Za pravilno in pravočasno izvajanje je ključna prava ocena ...bolnikovega preživetja. Nepaliativni pristop pri oskrbi ob koncu življenja vodi v medicinsko neučinkovito zdravljenje in povečuje bolnikovo trpljenje. Obravnava simptomov je podobna kot v zgodnejših obdobjih paliativne oskrbe. Poseben izziv predstavlja zdravljenje z zdravili. Oskrba se nadaljuje tudi po bolnikovi smrti.
Članek obravnava tematiko zdravja v izobraževanju odraslih. Izhodišče razprave je sodobno pojmovanje zdravja, ki se uveljavlja v družbenih vedah in se razume kot fizična, psihosocialna in duhovna ...dobrobit. Poudarjena je tudi misel, da je zdravje proces in da zdravstveno stanje določajo tako subjektivni kot okoljski dejavniki. To odpira vrata teoriji salutogeneze, povezani s prepričanjem, da je zdravje mogoče izboljšati s pomočjo zdravstvene vzgoje in promocije zdravja. Koncept okoljskih in socio-kulturnih dejavnikov, ki odločajo o zdravju in vprašanja, ki se nanašajo na z zdravjem povezani vidik kakovosti življenja, so tudi uporabljeni kot referenčni okvir in teoretska podlaga za to pedagoško razpravo o zdravju kot predmetu izobraževanja odraslih.
Medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) are very common in family medicine, despite being a poorly-defined clinical entity. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of an educational intervention (EI) on ...self-rated quality of life, treatment satisfaction, and the family physician-patient relationship in patients with MUS.
In a multi-centre longitudinal intervention study, which was performed between 2012 and 2014, patients were asked to rate their quality of life, assess their depression, anxiety, stress and somatisation, complete the Hypochondriasis Index, the Medical Interview Satisfaction Scale and the Patient Enablement Instrument for assessing the physician-patient relationship, before and after the EI.
The mean values before and after the intervention showed that after the EI, patients with MUS gave a lower (total) mean rating of their health issues and a higher rating of their quality of life, and they also had a more positive opinion of their relationship with the physician (p<0.05). However, there were no differences in the (total) rating of treatment satisfaction before and after the EI (p=0.423). Significant differences in the symptoms in patients with MUS before and after the intervention were confirmed for stress, somatisation and hypochondriasis (p<0.05).
It could be beneficial to equip family physicians with the knowledge, skills and tools to reduce hypochondriasis and somatisation in MUS patients, which would improve patients' self-rated health status.
Dalian je drugo najpomembnejše mesto na jugu province Liaoning na severovzhodu Kitajske. Nekoč je tam stalo naselje Qingniwa, ki so ga med letoma 1858 in 1950 drug za drugim zasedli Britanci, Japonci ...in Rusi. Vsak osvajalec je v mestu uvedel svoj arhitekturni slog. Rusi so mesto med drugo svetovno vojno odvzeli Japoncem, leta 1950 pa so ga končno vrnili Kitajski. Po letu 1950 je bila večina stavb in območij iz časa ruskega imperija porušena zaradi prenove, ki je potekala v mestu. Največje spremembe so se zgodile po letu 1984, ko so mesto razglasili za posebno gospodarsko območje, zlasti pa v 90. letih 20. stoletja, ko je postal župan Bo Xilai, ki je v mestu uredil parke, avtoceste in krožišča. Tradicionalno grajeno okolje je skoraj izginilo; danes je to sodobno mesto, v katerem se gradijo obsežna stanovanjska naselja. V njem prevladujejo stanovanjske stolpnice, v katerih živi 5,72 milijona prebivalcev. Leta 2011 je bila med 400 prebivalci opravljena anketa, v kateri so morali ti izraziti svoje mnenje o življenju v Dalianu in na njegovem ureditvenem območju ter oceniti svoje življenjske pogoje in stopnjo zadovoljstva s stanovanji. Rezultati ankete so jasno razkrili negotovost večine anketirancev glede spremenljivk, povezanih s kakovostjo stanovanj ter z naravo, s kakovostjo in z dostopnostjo razpoložljivih storitev. Kljub temu je največ anketirancev navedlo, da imajo javni promet, odprte prostore, parke in rekreativne površine na voljo blizu doma.
Objectives. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measures a patient’s subjective experience of his or her health status. We aimed to show how the presence of chronic diseases and satisfaction with ...family physicians (FPs) were associated with the HRQoL of a Roma population.
Methods. A cross-sectional study was carried out in May 2011 on a representative sample of 650 Roma living in Prekmurje, Slovenia. The EQ-5D questionnaire was used for measuring the HRQoL of the Roma. Demographical data, 12 groups of diseases diagnosed in the last 12 months and satisfaction with FPs were included in the questionnaire.
Results. The response rate was 88.3% (574), of which 56.4% were female, and the average age of the participants had a mean value of 40.2±12.7 years. The presence of cardiovascular problems with risk factors for them or presence of musculoskeletal disorders were strongly associated with the presence of pain (Cramer’s V = 0.40 and 0.46 respectively).There was a strong association between the presence of mental disorders and anxiety and depression (Cramer´s V = 0.58). The average satisfaction with the family physician was 3.9 (mean±1.10) on a five-point Likert scale. There was no significant association between HRQoL and satisfaction with the family physician.
Conclusions. Roma with chronic mental health problems had the lowest HRQoL in the Roma population. More attention should be paid to this subgroup of Roma in family medicine, and interventions should be provided. High satisfaction with their FPs is not associated with the observed quality of life variables
Uvod. Z zdravjem povezana kakovost življenja (HRQoL) je odraz pacientove subjektivne ocene lastnega zdravstvenega stanja. V naši raziskavi smo skušali ugotoviti, kakšen je vpliv nekaterih kroničnih bolezni in zadovoljstva z izbranim zdravnikom na HRQoL med romskim prebivalstvom.
Metode. Maja 2011 smo izvedli presečno raziskavo v reprezentativnem vzorcu 650 pomurskih Romov. HRQoL smo merili z vprašalnikom EQ-5D; vključili smo še demografske podatke, zadovoljstvo z izbranim družinskim zdravnikom in 12 bolezenskih stanj, ki so bila diagnosticirana v zadnjih 12 mesecih.
Rezultati. Odzivnost je bila 88,3-odstotna (574), 56,4 % je bilo žensk in povprečna starost sodelujočih je bila 40,2 +/- 12,7 leta. Nizek HRQoL v skupini s srčno-žilnimi boleznimi z dejavniki tveganja zanje in kostnomišičnimi boleznimi je bil močno povezan s prisotnostjo bolečine (Cramer z V = 0,40 in 0,46). V skupini z duševnimi težavami pa je bila močna povezava nizkega HRQoL s prisotnimi znaki anksioznosti in depresije (Cramer z V = 0,58). Povprečno zadovoljstvo z zdravnikom družinske medicine je bilo 3,9 (mediana +/- 1,10) na pettočkovni Likertovi lestvici. Ni bilo statistične povezave med HRQoL in zadovoljstvom z zdravnikom družinske medicine.
Zaključki. Romi s prisotnostjo duševnih težav imajo najnižji HRQoL v romskem prebivalstvu. Več pozornosti bi v družinski medicini morali posvetiti tej podskupini Romov. Zadovoljstvo z zdravnikom družinske medicine ni povezano z opazovanimi spremenljivkami kakovosti življenja
Quality of life and alcohol consumption: a review of the literature Background: The Quality of Life concept was used to evaluate the impact of alcohol consumption. The purpose of this systematic ...literature review was to determine the topics analysed and the research methodology used in the field of quality of life and alcohol drinking. Methods: A search of the Medline database was conducted to find original research articles in English focusing on certain keywords, i.e. 'quality of life' and 'alcohol drinking', 'alcoholism' or 'alcohol-related disorders', published in the last 10 years, which included population above the age of 18. The abstracts of the resulting articles were screened to select articles focusing on the association between alcohol consumption and the quality of life. These articles were systematically reviewed and analysed for study method and research theme. Results: 27 articles were included in further analysis. The researchers focussed on two major themes - the link between quality of life and alcohol consumption in the general population and in patients dependent on alcohol. Most of the studies were cross-sectional or longitudinal non-interventional studies. Intervention studies were mostly done on a population addicted to alcohol. Qualitative research methods were not used. Conclusions: Quality of life is a relevant criterion for assessing the effects of alcohol consumption. There is a lack of qualitative research in this area. PUBLICATION ABSTRACT
Older people and their strategies for coping with health risks Introduction: This article addresses the problems of one of the most vulnerable groups in society - older people. We examine the health ...risks facing older people in everyday life based on their own subjective perceptions. By analysing coping strategies, we discover diverse ways older people help themselves when faced with various risks. Methods: This paper is based on a study with a two-stage mixed method research design that combines quantitative and qualitative methods. The initial quantitative survey data on the quota sample (N=558) is later expanded in the primary qualitative part employing a grounded theory approach with multi-stage coding procedures, analysing 35 semistructured in-depth interviews. Results: In older people's perceptions, health risks largely dominate. Health problems can highly endanger one's quality of life, which is strongly represented by the category of independence. To better cope with health-threatening circumstances of everyday life, older people use various active and passive coping strategies, ranging from the use of technological aids to self-limitation and receiving social support. Discussion: The analysis of coping strategies represents a suitable approach for observing older people as active agents promoting their own well-being. On the basis of their individual coping strategies, we are able to indirectly assess which areas we could do more in for the autonomy and social inclusion of older people in our society. PUBLICATION ABSTRACT
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