Gender-based difference in quality of life of Migraine sufferers: A Cross-Sectional Study

Cost-Effectiveness of Initiating Dialysis Early: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Addiction, a chronic and recurrent disorder, is associated with lasting changes in the brain and can significantly affect the quality of life of people. Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) along with modern medical treatments can improve the quality of life of individuals. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the use of complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) and quality of life in narcotics anonymous patients. This cross-sectional study was performed on 189 narcotics anonymous patients in southeastern Iran. Using questionnaires such as the demographic information, the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF), CAM, and satisfaction with the use of CAM, the researcher was able to compile a comprehensive picture of the population. The mean score of overall quality of life and general health was 64.02 ± 23.32. Overall, 66.1 percent (n = 125) of the participants reported using at least one type of CAM in the previous year. Last year, 25.9% of participants used at least one kind of CAM, 22.8% used two types of CAM, 7.9% used three types of CAM, and 4.8% used four to five types of CAM. Thirty-nine point seven percent of them reported using prayer, 36.5% reported using medicinal herbs, 15.3% of participants reported using massage, 14.3% of participants reported using dietary supplements, 12.2% reported using wet cupping, and 8.5% reported using meditation. There were no significant differences in physical, psychological, environmental, and overall quality of life between CAM users and non-CAM users. The prayer users had significantly higher scores in terms of social relationships, environment, and overall quality of life than nonprayer users. Employed participants and opium users had significantly higher overall quality of life than others. Although there was no difference in quality of life between CAM and non-CAM users, the present study showed that prayer and medicinal herbs were the most commonly used methods among narcotics anonymous patients. However, prayer and religious beliefs were successful in improving the quality of life of these individuals. Physicians and other healthcare providers must advise patients with addiction to use different CAMs in order to improve their quality of life and quit narcotics. Future in-depth studies could help these patients use CAMs and improve their quality of life.

The SF-36 is the most widely used generic instrument for measuring quality of life (QOL). The instrument is translated into numerous languages, and the validity of the 8 subscales is confirmed in general populations and in a wide variety of patient groups in more than 2000 articles. In an article published in this issue of Stroke , Hobart et al1 report the psychometric properties of the SF-36 in a sample of ischemic stroke patients. The authors conclude that (1) some subscales, especially the scales for General Health (GH) and Social Functioning (SF), have limited reliability and validity; (2) half of the subscales suffer from floor and/or ceiling effects; and (3) the 2 summary scores inadequately reflect the patient’s physical and mental health. In view of the overwhelming weight of evidence that the subscales of the SF-36 are psychometrically sound to measure QOL in a range of patient populations, the question arises how convincing the arguments of Hobart and his colleagues are. The authors argue that the GH and SF scales generate low reliability scores and have limited convergent and discriminant validity. However, these conclusions can be challenged. The reliability of only 1 scale (GH) was marginally less (Cronbach’s alpha=0.68) than the authors’ predefined criteria. Although it is often recommended that coefficient values should be above 0.80, values above 0.70 are generally regarded as acceptable for scales when assessing outcome on a group level. Moreover, it should be noticed that the alpha coefficient not only depends on the correlations of the items but is also related to the number of items in the scale. For example, the relatively low coefficient …

A cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment can have a significant impact on an individual's quality of life. Differences in quality of life by sex among long-term melanoma survivors remain unclear. The objective of this study was to describe sex differences in cancer-specific psychosocial quality of life of long-term melanoma survivors. Melanoma survivors 7-10 years post-diagnosis from a previously conducted population-based case-control study were recruited for a cross-sectional survey. Validated measures of psychosocial quality of life related to melanoma diagnosis were assessed. Outcomes were compared by sex using linear regression models adjusting for age, education, income, and marital status. The survey response rate was 62% (433 females, 291 males; 86% stage I disease). Females were more likely to report changes in their appearance (p = 0.006) and being more fearful of recurrence (p = 0.001) or a second melanoma (p = 0.001) than males but were also more likely to report that melanoma had a positive impact on their lives (p < 0.0001). Males were more likely to agree with statements that emphasized that life's duration is limited (p < 0.0001). Long-term melanoma survivors reported generally favorable measures of psychosocial quality of life related to their diagnosis. Females and males reported unique quality of life concerns and may require varied methods of support following a melanoma diagnosis.

BackgroundWhen discussing treatment options and future care, it is important to understand the expectations of patients and family caregivers related to palliative chemotherapy and to identify patterns in patients’ quality of life. The study aims were to evaluate differences in treatment expectations and quality of life between patients with thoracic cancer (non-small-cell lung cancer, small-cell lung cancer and mesothelioma) who were < 70 and ≥ 70 years of age and receiving palliative chemotherapy and to assess family caregivers’ treatment expectations.MethodsA prospective longitudinal study included patients with thoracic cancer receiving outpatient palliative chemotherapy at a university hospital in Denmark and their family caregivers. Patients’ treatment expectations and quality of life were assessed three times during treatment with a survey of treatment expectations and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy – General questionnaire. Family caregivers’ treatment expectations were assessed once.ResultsA total of 48 patients and 36 family caregivers participated between 2018 and 2019. No statistically significant age-related differences in treatment expectations and quality of life were identified. 28% of patients aged < 70 years and 7% of those aged ≥70 years expected a cure. Among family caregivers, 36% expected a cure. Across both age groups, mean total quality of life scores significantly decreased from 73.2 at first palliative chemotherapy cycle to 70.5 at third cycle (p = 0.02). No meaningful changes were found in quality of life within either age group. A subgroup analysis found no significant between-group differences in quality of life. Mean physical well-being score for all patients decreased from 20.3 at first cycle to 18.4 at third cycle (p = 0.03) and mean emotional well-being score decreased from 15.4 at first cycle to 14.6 at third cycle (p = 0.04).ConclusionThis study emphasizes the importance of initiating conversations about treatment expectations and paying attention to expectations that may differ by the age of the patient and between patients and family caregivers. Addressing treatment expectations among patients and family caregivers and monitoring quality of life among patients is important in clinical practice.

To assess the differences in patient-reported, catheter-specific satisfaction and quality of life with either suprapubic or transurethral postoperative bladder drainage following reconstructive pelvic surgery. This was a prospective study of all eligible women who were scheduled to undergo reconstructive surgery requiring bladder drainage during the study period November 2013 to March 2015. Women who did not undergo the planned procedure(s) or did not require bladder drainage were excluded. The primary outcome was patient-reported quality of life using catheter-specific instruments including the Catheter-related Quality of Life (CIQOL) instrument, and a modified version of the Intermittent Self-Catheterization Questionnaire (ISC-Q), designed to evaluate aspects of catheter-related quality of life and satisfaction specific to the needs of the individual. A total of 178 women were analyzed, 108 in the transurethral catheter group and 70 in the suprapubic group. Women with suprapubic bladder drainage had higher quality of life and satisfaction scores than women with transurethral bladder drainage as measured by the ISC-Q (68.31 ± 16.87 vs. 54.04 ± 16.95, mean difference 14.27, 95% CI 9.15 - 19.39). There was no difference in quality of life by the CIQOL. After regression analysis, women with suprapubic bladder drainage were more satisfied with their catheter-specific needs despite longer duration of catheter use, more concurrent continence surgery, and higher trait anxiety. Differences in catheter-specific quality of life and patient satisfaction scores favoring suprapubic bladder drainage support its continued use in appropriately selected women for treatment of temporary postoperative urinary retention after reconstructive pelvic surgery.

Introduction Shift work is associated with insufficient and disrupted sleep and impaired quality of life due to misalignment between the timing of internal biological clock and work/sleep schedule. There are reported sex differences in the circadian timing system, in sleep, and in reported sleep complaints, but how these impact female shift workers remains unclear. Furthermore, relatively little is known about sex differences in quality of life in shift workers. The objective of this study is to investigate sex differences in sleepiness, insomnia and quality of life in healthcare shift workers. Methods Forty women (31 ± 6.4 yo) and 70 men (31.2 ± 6.7 yo) who work at least 4 night shifts a month, completed the Shift Worker Sleep and Health Survey. This REDcap administered survey included the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire (FOSQ-10). Independent samples T-tests were carried out using SAS. Results Women reported significantly higher scores on the ESS compared to men (13 ± 4 vs. 11 ± 3.4, respectively; t(108)=-2.74,P=0.007), as on the ISI (13 ± 5.2 vs. 9.8 ± 5.4; t(108)=-3.05,P=0.003), indicating greater levels of daytime sleepiness and insomnia-like symptoms in female shift workers. In addition, women scored significantly lower on the FOSQ-10 than men (13.9 ± 2.9 vs. 15.3 ± 2.5; t(108)=2.68,P=0.009), suggesting a lower functional status related to activities of daily living in female shift workers. Conclusion These preliminary analyses suggest that in this group of healthcare shift workers, women are less tolerant to irregular work hours compared to men, in terms of sleep, sleepiness and quality of life. Our future goal is to understand how sleep quality and duration, daytime sleepiness, and quality of life interact, and what role sex plays in those interactions. Support The study was supported by NIH grant R01 AG044416.

Liver transplantation is the main therapeutic alternative for patients with advanced liver disease. These patients have high prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities that may negatively interfere in clinical outcomes and quality of life. It is not clear in the literature whether the different etiologies of hepatic disease have the same prevalence of psychiatric disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate whether patients in the liver transplant list showed differences in psychiatric characteristics, medical variables and quality of life among different etiological groups. This is a cross-sectional study that evaluates quality of life, psychiatric and clinical comorbidities through the application of validated questionnaires and instruments in 248 patients who were on transplant waiting list from 2010 to 2014, assisted in a University Hospital and in a Private Hospital in Salvador/Bahia, Brazil. The patients were evaluated through the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I. PLUS 5.0) and Medical Outcomes Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). The etiology of the most prevalent liver disease was hepatitis C virus. A prevalence of 50.8% of at least one mental disorder was identified. When alcohol abuse/dependence was excluded, the prevalence was 25.8%. Mental health did not show a statistically significant difference in the diverse etiological groups, but a higher prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities was detected among women and younger than 40 years. No cases of psychotic disorders were detected, possibly by exclusion prior to listing. There was no difference in the quality of life domains in the different liver etiological groups. A high-prevalence of psychiatric disorders was found among all clinical conditions most associated with indication for liver transplantation. Attention is drawn to the absence of patients with psychotic disorders, which suggests that transplantation may not have been indicated for this group of patients. For these reasons, professionals caring for liver transplant candidates should be highly vigilant for the presence of mental disorders, regardless of the etiology of liver disease. Specialized care is recommended to minimize the early exclusion of patients with no other therapeutic possibilities, as well as care of all people with mental disorders.

Very little information exists on racial differences in quality of life among older adults. In this paper, we examine black-white differences in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and identify factors that may account for these differences. The participants were 5,986 community-dwelling persons age 65+ (62% black at baseline) from the Chicago Health and Aging Project. Poor HRQOL was defined as having 14 or more self-reported physically or mentally unhealthy days over the past 30 days. A higher proportion of blacks (11.0%) than whites (9.7%) reported poor HRQOL. After adjusting for age and sex, blacks had increased odds of reporting poor HRQOL compared with whites (odds ratio [OR] = 1.72; 95% CI: 1.50-1.98). The black-white differences in HRQOL tended to increase with age (p < 0.05) and were greater among females (p < 0.05). Lifetime socioeconomic status, summary measures of medical conditions, and cognitive function accounted for most of the black-white difference (OR = 1.06; 95% CI: 0.89-1.27). Our results suggest that racial differences in HRQOL are associated with the combined effects of social disadvantage, poor physical health, and lower cognitive function.

Background This study was conducted to assess the presence and/or absence of cross-cultural differences or similarities between Korean and United States cataract patients. A systematic assessment was performed using utility and psychometric measures in the study population. Research Design A cross-sectional study design was used to examine the comparison of preoperative outcomes measures in cataract patients in Korea and the United States. Study subjects were selected using non-probabilistic methods and included 132 patients scheduled for cataract surgery in one eye. Participants Subjects were adult cataract patients at Samsung and Kunyang General Hospital in Seoul, Korea, and Tulane University Hospital and Clinics in New Orleans, Louisiana. Measurements Preoperative utility was assessed using the verbal rating scale and standard reference gamble techniques. Current preoperative health status was assessed using the SF-36 and VF-14 surveys. Current preoperative Snellen visual acuity was used as a clinical measure of vision status. Results Korean patients were more likely to be younger (p = 0.001), less educated (p = 0.001), and to have worse Snellen visual acuity (p = 0.002) than United States patients. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) revealed that in contrast to Korean patients, United States patients were assessed to have higher scoring in general health, vitality, VF-14, and verbal rating for visual health. This higher scoring trend persisted after controlling for age, gender, education and Snellen visual acuity. The difference in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) between the two countries was quite clear, especially in the older age and highly educated group. Conclusions Subjects in Korea and the United States were significantly different in quality of life, functional status and clinical outcomes. Subjects in the United States had more favorable health outcomes than those in Korea. These differences may be caused by multiple factors, including country-specific differences in economic status, health care system, cultural value system, and health policy. Cross-cultural differences should be considered when making international comparisons of quality of life.

Background: Splinting care patients are patients who are to experience by loss of periodontal ligament attachment and bone damage infrabony or suprabony that requires splinting treatment to stabilize the teeth and provide the comfort to the patient. The aim of this research is to find out the differences in life quality before and after splinting treatment in cases of tooth mobility by using the Oral Health Impact Profile Questionnaire - 14. Method: This study uses an observational analytic design with cross sectional design. The sample used total sampling technique that was taken from all splinting care patients at RS/GM Sultan Agung for the period of January-April 2019 in accordance with inclusion criteria of 22 patients. The data were taken from the results of direct and indirect interviews. The data was analyzed using Non-parametric Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test. Result: Based on the results of data analysis, it showed that there were significant differences (p&lt;0.05) on the results of the data, before and after splinting treatment using the OHIP-14 questionnaire, which means that the splinting treatment using the OHIP-14 questionnaire was changed the life quality of patients in RS/GM Sultan Agung the quality of patients' life become better after splinting treatment. Conclusion: There are differences in patients' life quality before and after splinting treatment.

Introduction: Drug abuse adversely affects oral health, leading to conditions such as xerostomia, caries, and periodontal disease. Periodontal disease can cause discomfort such as pain, bleeding gums, and tooth loss. These can negatively affect quality of life by impairing chewing, speech, and self-confidence. This study aims to analyze the differences in quality of life among healthy, gingivitis, and periodontitis patients with SUD (Substance Use Disorder) at the Lido Rehabilitation Center. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at the Lido Rehabilitation Center in West Java in August 2024. A total of 101 SUD patients were recruited using purposive sampling based on predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. All participants underwent oral examinations and completed the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire, which assesses quality of life across four domains: physical, psychological, social, and environmental. Periodontal disease was evaluated based on probing depth, bleeding on probing, and clinical attachment loss, with periodontal status serving as the independent variable and quality of life as the dependent variable. Statistical tests were performed to determine differences in quality of life among the healthy, gingivitis, and periodontitis groups. Results: A total of 63.4% of respondents were diagnosed with periodontal disease. Patients diagnosed as healthy had the highest mean score in the psychological domain (55,51 ± 15,47) compared to gingivitis and periodontitis patients (51,07 ± 12,85) and (47,68 ± 17,89) respectively. The Kruskal-Wallis test revealed a significant difference among the groups (p = 0.026), and Tukey's post-hoc test indicated a significant difference between gingivitis and periodontitis groups (p = 0.007). Conclusion: There is a difference in QoL among healthy, gingivitis, and periodontitis groups, especially in the psychological domain. Respondents with periodontal disease had lower quality of life scores compared to healthy respondents.

Purpose : Quality of Life (QoL) is an important outcome measure in health care and pharmacological trials. The trend towards multinational clinical trials may be problematic because it is unclear as to whether, or to what extent, QoL measures are comparable across cultures. This study compared QoL between English and German adolescents with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and their healthy peers. Method : The study comprised a cross-sectional design. The English subjects formed two groups; 58 adolescents with CF and 49 healthy controls. The German subjects consisted of 26 adolescents with CF and 75 healthy controls. Quality of life was measured using the English and German versions of the SF-36. Demographic (age and gender) and clinical data (FEV 1 % predicted and BMI) were also recorded. Results : The English and German CF groups had similar age-adjusted lung function and body mass index. Both the English CF and control groups reported a poorer quality of life than their respective German counterparts across several domains of the SF-36. These were limitations in activities due to physical health problems and emotional difficulties, social functioning, energy and vitality and pain. Conclusions : The differences in quality of life between English and German adolescents with CF appear to be either culturally determined or due to idiosyncrasies in the translations of the SF-36, rather than a consequence of their disease or its management.

Differences in the quality of life of epileptic patients with and without sleep disturbance

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic disease that requires lifelong therapy to control blood glucose. The long term use and different mechanism of action antidiabetic have the potential cause side effects and discomfort that affects the quality of life. This study aimed to determine differences in the quality of life of patients with T2DM based on antidiabetic prescribed and complications at the Outpatient of Panembahan Senopati Bantul Yogyakarta Hospital in September 2017. This research is observational with a cross-sectional design. Quality of life data is taking concurrently using the Diabetes Quality of Life Clinical Trial Questionnaire and patient's medical record. This study involved 200 T2DM patients who received antidiabetic at least 3 months before study, aged ≥18 years and agreed to inform concent. Sociodemographic data, antidiabetic prescribed and complications were described descriptively. Differences in the quality of life based on antidiabetic prescribed and complications using the Kruskal Wallis test which was further analyzed using the post hoc by Mann Whitney test. The results showed the majority of patients received oral combination with insulin (48.5%) and dominated by macrovascular complications (19.5%). The average value of patient's quality of life is 65.7. There was difference quality of life based on antidiabetic prescribed in the domain of treatment satisfaction (p=0.000) between oral monotherapy with combination of oral and insulin (p=0.000) and insulin monotherapy with combination of oral and insulin (p=0.002). There were differences in quality of life based on complications in the mental health domain (p=0.003) between macrovascular and microvascular (p=0.011) and between microvascular and without complications (p=0.001).