Higher Levels Of Quality Of Life Research Articles

Comparision of Quality of Life of Senior Citizens Residing in Old Age Homes and Own Residence.

Quality of life of elderly is becoming even more relevant with demographic shift happening towards an ageing society. With fast changing family condition and social contexts, lives of elderly people in Nepal have been changing dramatically. Old age homes have sprung up to cater to the needs of the elderly from different socio-economic backgrounds. The objective of this study is to compare the quality of life of senior citizens of selected old age homes and own residence and to find the association of quality of life with selected study variables. A comparative study was conducted among 120 senior citizens from Dhankuta, Morang and Sunsari districts of Koshi zone. Two strata were formed based on their residence, i.e., old age homes and own residence. Equal proportion of the samples were selected from both the settings. Data was collected using interview schedule through pretested semi-structured and standard World Helth Organization, quality of life - old questionnaires. More than one fifth (23.33%) of research participants were from the age group 65-69 and 75-79 and more than half (55%) of them were female. More than half (58.33%) of the research participants residing in their own residence had high quality of life level, while among those residing in the old age homes, only about 40% had high quality of life level. Quality of life level was found to be significantly associated with sex and educational status of the research participants. Quality of life was found to be better among the people residing in their own residence as compared to those residing in old age homes.

Supporting caregivers of veterans with Alzheimer\u2019s disease and traumatic brain injury: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundPatients with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) and their caregivers require cognitive and behavioral symptom management, interdisciplinary care, support for caregivers, and seamless care coordination between providers. Caring for someone with ADRD or TBI is associated with higher rates of psychological morbidity and burden, social isolation, financial hardship, and deterioration of physical health. Tremendous need exists for primary care–based interventions that concurrently address the care needs of dyads and aim to improve care and outcomes for both individuals with ADRD and TBI and their family caregivers.MethodsThe Aging Brain Care Acquiring New Skills While Enhancing Remaining Strengths (ABC ANSWERS) study is a randomized controlled trial that tests the effectiveness of an intervention based on two evidence-based programs that have been developed for and previously tested in populations with ADRD, TBI, stroke, and late-life depression and/or who have survived an intensive care unit stay. This study includes 200 dyads comprised of a veteran with a diagnosis of ADRD or TBI and the veteran’s primary informal caregiver. Dyads are randomized to receive the ABC ANSWERS intervention or routine Veterans Health Administration (VHA) primary care with a standardized educational and resource information packet. Data collection occurs at baseline and three follow-up time points (3 months, 6 months, and 12 months). The primary outcome is caregiver quality of life (QoL). A secondary measure for the caregiver is caregiver burden. Secondary measures for both the veteran and caregiver include symptoms of depression and anxiety.DiscussionThe ABC ANSWERS intervention integrates common features of an evidence-based collaborative care model for brain health while concurrently attending to the implementation barriers of delivering care and skills to dyads. We hypothesize that caregivers in dyads randomized to the ABC ANSWERS program will experience higher levels of QoL and lower levels of depression, anxiety, dyadic strain, and caregiver burden at 12 months than those receiving usual VHA primary care.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03397667. Registered on 12 January 2018.

A Descriptive Study to Assess the Quality of Life of Patient with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in a Selected Rural Community at Kancheepuram District Tamil Nadu, India

Diabetic 2 mellitus is also known as non-insulin dependent diabetic mellitus. It is associated withabnormalities in carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism and may result in the chronic complicationincluding micro vascular, macro vascular and neuropathic disorders. The reality is that diabetes influencespatients’ lives. The mere presence of diabetes deteriorates a person’s quality of life. When diabetes coexistswith other chronic illnesses the effect is even worse. The objectives of the study is to assess the quality oflife of type 2 diabetes mellitus patient in a selected rural area and association between the quality of lifeand the demographic variables. A purposive sampling technique is used to collect drug from the samples.The sample size was 93 type 2 diabetes patients at selected rural community area. The quality of life wasassessed by final quolid questionnaires. The result shows that 6(6%) of sample had low level of quality oflife, 79(85%) of the sample had average level of quality of life, 8(9%) of sample had high level of qualityof life.

Jogging/running activity and quality of life in the elderly

Objectives The number of elderly joggers/runners in Japan has been on the rise. This study aimed to investigate the practice of jogging/running activity, features of quality of life (QOL) among the elderly, and the relationships between jogging/running activity and QOL features.Methods A questionnaire survey was conducted with 83 older adults aged 60-81 who had participated in 7 marathons held from November 2014 to July 2015. Sex, age, experience (years), mileage (kms/month), frequency of jogging/running activity (times/week), frequency of participation in marathons (times/year), and QOL were assessed. QOL was measured with the WHOQOL26, which is composed of "overall QOL", "physical," "psychological," "social relationships," and "environment." The relations between these variables were estimated using correlation and multiple regression analyses.Results In the majority of the participants, experience was 5 or more years, mileage was less than 150 kms/month, frequency of jogging/running activity was 1-4 times a week, and frequency of participation in marathons was 1-10 times a year. As for the participants above the age of 65, the mean QOL for men was 3.8 (standard deviation (SD)=0.4) and for women was 4.1 (SD=0.5). These scores were higher than those previously reported in studies among Japanese older adults. And there was no evidence which showed the bodily pain such as lower limb disorders, which older joggers or runners may often get. Overall QOL was positively associated with age and frequency of jogging/running activity. The social relationships domain was positively associated with sex and experience. The environment domain was positively correlated with experience. All these associations were significant.Conclusions The results suggest that among the elderly, a high frequency and/or experience of jogging/running activity is significantly associated with a high level of QOL. In the future, a case-control or longitudinal study with a larger sample size and/or more variables is required to obtain a more definitive interpretation of the present findings.

Clinical Importance of Drug Adherence during Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Therapy for Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia in Chronic Phase

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative neoplasm constituting approximately 15% of newly diagnosed leukemia in adult patients. Development of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have dramatically improved outcomes in patients with chronic CML in chronic phase. However, adverse drug events (ADEs) associated with TKI therapy have influenced drug adherence, resulting in adverse clinical outcomes and a decline in the quality of life (QoL). In this study, we carried out a unique questionnaire survey to evaluate ADEs, which comprised 14 adverse events. We compared drug adherence rates between patients using imatinib and those who switched from imatinib to nilotinib, a second-generation TKI. Following the switch, the total number of ADEs decreased considerably in most cases. Simultaneously, better QoL was observed in the nilotinib group than in the imatinib group. Drug adherence was measured using Morisky’s 9-item Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS). MMAS increased significantly after switching to nilotinib in all cases. Drug adherence is a critical factor for achieving molecular response in patients with CML. In fact, our results showed a strong inverse correlation between clinical outcome (international scale (IS)) and adherence (MMAS), with a stronger tendency in the nilotinib group than in the imatinib group. In conclusion, low occurrence of ADEs induced a high level of QoL and a good clinical response with second-generation TKI nilotinib treatment.

Oral health-related quality of life and cognitive functioning in myofascial temporomandibular disorders pain

Aim of the studyThe aims of the study were to assess whether the Oral Health Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) is decreased in patients with temporomandibular disorders –myalgic type, to evaluate to what extent myofascial pain intensity affects OHRQoL and to investigate the relationships between cognitive function and OHRQoL.Subject or material and methodsThe study included 45 patients diagnosed with the muscle-related temporomandibular disorders. The study group consisted of twenty three people with painful form of disorder. The control consisted of twenty two people without pain experience. The study was a part of a larger research project. The data to be analyzed for this article was obtained in the course of a single questionnaire survey conducted prior to the start of the treatment process.ResultsThe results show that the study group suffering from myofascial pain experiences related to temporomandibular disorders of myalgic type consistently reported higher quality of life levels than the patient group who reported lack of pain experiences. In principle the better OHRQoL, the poorer cognitive functioning in most neurocognitive domains investigated in the study.DiscussionThe results, however surprising, may indicate specific relationships between factors analyzed in the study. These need to be confirmed with larger sample, taking into account general quality of patients life and psychoemotional factors.ConclusionsOHRQoL of patients with temporomandibular disorders shows a co-variation with certain aspects of cognitive functioning. The results should be considered with a caution that is resulting from the limitations of the research sample.

Abstract P1-12-15: Quality of life, unmet needs and social support of patients with breast cancer during adjuvant endocrine therapy in Mexico

Abstract Background: As survival increases in patients with breast cancer (BC), long-term care is required. Studies have shown that the psychosocial situation of this patients changes according to age and the types of treatment they received. Quality of life (QoL), unmet needs (UN), and social support (SS) have been significantly related to the way they live their survivorship. However, it is still unclear how these variables are affected by adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET) in Mexican patients with BC, to address and provide appropriate interventions. Objective: To describe the level of quality of life, unmet needs and social support, and to evaluate their relationship with the type of AET. Method: 200 patients with BC under AET were enrolled in a cross-sectional and correlational design. We administered QoL (EORTC-30 and BR-23), UN (SCNS-SF32), SS (MOS-SSS14), validated and standardized instruments in Mexican population. Premenopausal patients with ovarian function suppression were excluded. Non-parametric analyzes of U Mann Whitney and Spearman's correlation were used. Results: Mean age of the 186 patients evaluated was 54.52 (SD=10.65) years. Most of patients had elementary school (32.8%), were married (49.5%), housewives (60.2%), and catholics (86%). 54.8% underwent tamoxifen, 25.8% exemestane, 12.9% letrozol, 6.5% anastrozol. Mean time of AET were 2.59 years and 3.53 years since diagnosis. They reported a good level of global QoL (mean= 80 points, 0-100); however, they experienced insomnia (25.44 points), financial difficulties (24.19), fatigue (23.77), constipation (21.68) and pain (18.54); besides, adequate body image perception (91.6 points). The most UN were on information and the health system 31.13 (0-100 score), sexual (29.23) and psychological (28.21). The most frequent SS type was affection (88.46 points) and emotional-informational (79.56 points). Patients under anastrozole in comparison with exemestane, tamoxifen and letrozol reported significantly more nausea-vomiting (p=0.028; p=0.041; p=0.002 respectively), insomnia (p=0.008; p=.014; p=0.032, respectively), and appetite loss (p=0.049; p=0.049; p=0.04, respectively). We found that patients with anastrozol perceived significantly less SS than other types of AET (p=<0.005). It highlights that patients who received letrozol perceived significantly better future perspective (QoL). Our data also shows that the higher QoL level and the fewer reported symptoms the lower the UN. Conclusions: These results are consistent with previous studies in terms of information and psychological UN, and its relationship with QoL. Despite the small percent of patients treated with anastrozole in our study, they had more side effects than other aromatase inhibitors. In addition, it shows that postmenopausal survivors patients with BC still have sexual UN. This study is the first on Mexico exploring differences in perception of QoL, UN and SS according AET type. We concluded that the health care professionals who attend postmenopausal survivors patients with BC in the real clinical practice, should be aware of that long-term intervention includes care to sexual and psychological UN in the same importance as to the adverse events of treatment. Citation Format: Gálvez-Hernández L, Páez-Gerardo I, Ramírez-Medina R, Neri-Flores V, Bargallo-Rocha E, Villarreal-Garza C, Esparza N, Flores-Díaz D, Mohar A, Cabrera-Galeana P. Quality of life, unmet needs and social support of patients with breast cancer during adjuvant endocrine therapy in Mexico [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-12-15.

Physical Activity and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Low-Income Adults in Metropolitan Kuala Lumpur

BackgroundThe aim of this research is to assess the level of physical activity (PA) in relation to different socio-economic factors and to examine the effect of the recommended level of PA on the domains of quality of life (QoL) among residents of low-income housing in the metropolitan area of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study that included 680 respondents from community housing projects. Reported PA was assessed using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) short form version 2. The SF-12v2 was administered to assess the health-related QoL (HRQoL) among the study population. Respondents were grouped into “active” and “insufficient” groups according to reported weekly PA level. One-way analysis of variance, analysis of co-variance, and multiple linear regression were used in the analysis.ResultsOverall, 17.6% (95% CI, 14.3–20.9) of the respondents did not achieve the recommended levels of PA (≥600 metabolic equivalent [MET]-minutes week−1). Level of achieving recommended PA was higher among younger participants, females, members belonging to nuclear families, and in self-employed participants. The group that fulfilled recommended PA levels (active) has higher levels of QoL in all domains except physical functioning.ConclusionsAlmost one out of five low-income urban residents were physically inactive. In addition, individuals who attained recommended PA levels had better scores on some domains of HRQOL than those who did not. Our findings call for tailor-made public health interventions to improve PA levels among the general population and particularly for low-income residents.

Quality of Life (QoL) of People with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) in Western Greece

Community living individuals with SCI face major health-related QoL challenges, especially in countries such as Greece, due to the lack of infrastructure and support networks. The aim of this study is to evaluate QoL of people with SCI who have already completed the rehabilitation program and live in the geographic area of Western Greece and to identify the clinical and demographic factors that affect QoL in this population. Thirty-six individuals with SCI living in Western Greece participated in this study. We used World Health Organization Quality of Life BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire to estimate their QoL levels. Additional data were collected by clinical measurements and a demographic questionnaire. The mean age of the sample was 45.1±9.8 years, the mean time since injury was 13.1±11.7 years and 89% of the participants were male. The mean values of QoL parameters ranged from 56.6±16.6 up to 100 (physical health) to 67.7±18.1 up to 100 (environment). Lower education level (p = 0.035) and married life (p = 0.006) are associated with higher QoL levels regarding environment and social relationships respectively. Additionally, as time since injury passes, the aspect of Qol that is related with social relationships improves (p = 0.04). The study documents relatively high rates of QoL in the population of individuals with SCI in Western Greece. Married life, low educational level and long time post injury are determinants of high QoL levels in this population.

Quality of Life and Spirituality in Indian University Students

University students can experience low levels of quality of life (QoL). Previous research has indicated a positive relationship between spirituality and QoL. The objective of this study was to examine the association between QoL and spirituality in Indian post-graduate university students. It was hypothesised that higher levels of QoL would be associated with higher levels of spiritual beliefs, spiritual practices, sense of purpose/connectedness and sense of hope/control after adjusting for a range of demographic variables and perceived social support. A group of 475 post-graduate university students (241 males and 234 females) from Pondicherry, India, participated in this cross-sectional study. Data was collected by using demographics, as well as the World Health Organisation’s QoL-BREF Questionnaire and the Spirituality Attitude Inventory. The results indicated that religiosity was not associated with QoL in this sample. However existential wellbeing was independently associated with Physical Health QoL, Psychological QoL, and Environmental QoL; while a sense of hope/control was independently associated with Physical Health QoL, Social QoL and Environmental QoL. Negative religious coping had the strongest association with all of the measures of QoL. These results provide evidence that higher levels of spirituality are associated with higher levels of QoL in Indian university students. The findings of the study support the need for further interventional studies examining the promotion of spirituality in Indian university students in order to improve their QoL.

Detecting frail, older adults and identifying their strengths: results of a mixed-methods study

BackgroundThe debate on frailty in later life focuses primarily on deficits and their associations with adverse (health) outcomes. In addition to deficits, it may also be important to consider the abilities and resources of older adults. This study was designed to gain insights into the lived experiences of frailty among older adults to determine which strengths can balance the deficits that affect frailty.MethodsData from 121 potentially frail community-dwelling older adults in Flemish-speaking Region of Belgium and Brussels were collected using a mixed-methods approach. Quantitative data were collected using the Comprehensive Frailty Assessment Instrument (CFAI), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and numeric rating scales (NRS) for quality of life (QoL), care and support, meaning in life, and mastery. Bivariate analyses, paired samples t-tests and means were performed. Qualitative data on experiences of frailty, frailty balance, QoL, care and support, meaning in life, and mastery were collected using semi-structured interviews. Interviews were subjected to thematic content analysis.ResultsThe “no to mild frailty” group had higher QoL, care and support, meaning in life, and mastery scores than the “severe frailty” group. Nevertheless, qualitative results indicate that, despite being classified as frail, many older adults experienced high levels of QoL, care and support, meaning in life, and mastery. Respondents mentioned multiple balancing factors for frailty, comprising individual-level circumstances (e.g., personality traits, coping strategies, resilience), environmental influences (e.g., caregivers, neighborhood, social participation), and macro-level features (e.g., health literacy, adequate financial compensation). Respondents also highlighted that life changes affected their frailty balance, including changes in health, finances, personal relationships, and living situation.ConclusionThe findings indicate that frailty among older individuals can be considered as a dynamic state and, regardless of frailty, balancing factors are important in maintaining a good QoL. The study investigated not only the deficits, but also the abilities, and resources of frail, older adults. Public policymakers and healthcare organizations are encouraged to include these abilities, supplementary or even complementary to the usual focus on deficits.

Differential influences of the facets of religious and spiritual beliefs on Salvation Army officers’ quality of life

ABSTRACTSalvation Army officers often work in stressful situations which are likely to impact on wellbeing. No research has examined the buffering effects of the officers’ strong religious and spiritual beliefs on this relationship. The current study aimed to examine the relationship between quality of life (QoL) and religious and spiritual beliefs among current and retired Salvation Army officers from the Australian Eastern Territory. Two hundred and seventy officers aged between 30 and 93 years (153 males and 102 females) completed the WHOQOL-BREF1 and the WHOQOL-SRPB.2 The results of the analyses revealed positive relationships between religious and spiritual QoL, the eight facets of the WHOQOL-SRPB, overall QoL and each of the four WHOQOL-BREF domains. The results showed that the facets of religious and spiritual QoL made differential contributions to QoL, and the QoL domains. Hope and optimism was the only facet to predict physical and environment QoL in regression analyses. It was also a significant predictor, along with inner peace and meaning and purpose in life, of psychological QoL. Wholeness and integration, spiritual strength and faith significantly predicted the social relationship domain. However, the relationship with spiritual strength and social relationships was mediated by wholeness and integration. Spiritual connection did not significantly predict any of the QoL domains. Religious and spiritual beliefs are important for Salvation Army officers maintaining a high level of QoL in the face of stressful work environments. However, the different facets of religion and spirituality play different roles in this relationship and need to be examined individually. This is particularly important given that religious and spiritual beliefs may help officers cope with stressful work situations.

Quality of life for hemodialysis patients with chronic renal failure

Objectives:- To assess the Quality of Life for patients complain from Chronic Renal Failure who undergo hemodialysis and to find out the relationship between patients' Quality of Life and their demographical data, and clinical characteristics. Methods:- A descriptive study was carried out in Iraq at Al – Najaf Al – Ashraf / Al – Sadder Medical City and Al – Hakeem Hospital / Hemodialysis unit. For the period from September 20th, 2016 to May 30th, 2017. A non – probability (purposive) sample of (203) patients with CRF were selected.Questionnaire form was constructed based on World Health Organization (WHO) instrument for the purpose of the study .Validity was determined by presenting the questionnaire to a panel. Reliability of instrument was done through a computation of Pearson Correlations for Quality of Life. Data were collected through the application of the questionnaire and interview technique. Data were analyzed throughout descriptive statistical approach (frequency and percentage, mean ofscore, Correlation Coefficients)and inferential statistical approach (chi-square). Results:-The findings of the study had revealed that most of the patients from group (47-62) years were(38.9%). In the present study, (57.1%) were male subjects and (74.8%) were married. Most of them were illiterate (36%) in the level of education with insufficient (48.3%) monthly income and living in own houses (69.9%). About (73.9%) were living in urban residence area, and most of the patients were housewives (39.9) according to occupational status. Conclusions:-The study concludes that majority of chronic renal failure patient under hemodialysis treatment have high quality of life level in the social domain. Most of chronic renal failure the patients undergoing hemodialysis responses present they have low level of independence and physical domain. Also there are strong relationship between quality of life and (gender, level of education, Marital status, and occupational status before disease) of the chronic renal failure patients under hemodialysis. Recommendation:-The study recommends to involve new nurses allocated in hemodialysis unit in training courses regarding dialysis procedure and medications, and how to deal comprehensively with chronic renal failure patients, and their families. And provide chronic renal failure patients undergoing hemodialysis with needed pamphlets, posters and booklets including instructions that contain information about hemodialysis therapy, diet schedule, medication, life style changes.

Treatment for ventricular arrhythmias in the absence of structural heart disease: from guidelines to clinical practice

To determine criteria for choosing management tactics in patients with ventricular arrhythmias (VA) in the absence of structural heart disease from the point of view of physicians and patients in clinical practice and to compare the immediate results of antiarrhythmic drug therapy (ADT) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) with the trends in arrhythmic syndrome in the non-treatment group. Examinations were made in 90 patients (23 men and 67 women) (mean age, 44 (31; 57) years) with VA in the absence of structural heart disease. Preference was given to RFA (n = 32 (36%)), ADT (n = 37 (41%)), and follow-up tactics (n = 21 (23%)). At baseline and 1 month, Holter ECG monitoring was done; quality of life (QOL) was assessed; and anxiety and depression levels were detected using the SF-36 and HADS questionnaires. In addition, 71 physicians were surveyed about their preferences to the treatment of VA in individuals without structural heart disease. In the total group of patients, VA was unambiguously accompanied by the symptoms only in 47%. The signs of anxiety and depression were identified in 41 and 14% of cases, respectively. The efficiency of RFA was comparable to that of ADT (p > 0.1): a positive antiarrhythmic effect was observed in 71.9% of the patients in the RFA group and in 67.6% in the ADT group. During one month, 38.1% of the patients in the follow-up group showed a spontaneous substantial reduction in the number of ventricular premature beats (VPBs) or disappearance of unstable ventricular tachycardia (UVT), which met the criteria for a positive effect. At baseline, the QOL indicators on a social functioning scale in the RFA group were worse than those in the ADT group. At the same time, most QOL indicators in the patients who have chosen a wait-and-see tactic were significantly higher than those in the RFA and ADT subgroups. The patients treated with ethacyzin in the ADT group more frequently achieved a positive effect. In the interviewed physicians' opinion, the choice of a tactic depended on the impact of arrhythmia on health status (68%), the number of VPBs per day (61%), and the presence of UVT (56%). RFA or ADT was most often recommended when there were 10,000-15,000 or more VPBs per day ((49 and 35% of the respondents, respectively). 46.5% of the respondents stated that β-blockers were the drug of choice for idiopathic frequent VPBs. Only 30% of the respondents considered it appropriate to restrict to a follow-up in the presence of asymptomatic VPBs. Patient management in clinical practice generally complies with the current guidelines; however, much importance is attached to the severity of arrhythmia (the number of VPBs per day, the presence of UVT) in addition to the presence of symptoms. In the opinion of most physicians, the initiation of treatment is justified when there are 10,000-15,000 and more per day. QOL assessment may be promising in choosing the optimal management tactics for these patients. Treatment should not be initiated immediately in patients with a high level of QOL, especially in those with arrhythmia lasting less than 12 months, by taking into account that there can be a spontaneous improvement in 38% of cases within the next month. The immediate results of ADT and RFA are comparable in patients with VA in the absence of structural heart disease. The Class IC antiarrhythmic drug ethacyzin is the most effective agent that ensures positive changes in arrhythmic syndrome in 66.7% of cases with the rate of side effects being in 17.8%.

Association between sleep quality and quality of life among students: a cross sectional study.

Background Lack of sleep and on going sleep disorder can affect family health and interpersonal relationships. Objective The aim of study was to investigate the association between sleep quality and the probable determinants of quality of life among students of a public health faculty at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBMU) in the 2015 academic year. Methods The data from a cross-sectional study of 275 students that randomly stratified sampling between different classes of college students of a public health faculty of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences were used in this study. The data were collected using a structured questionnaire consisted of modules on socio-demographic characteristics, the Petersburg Standardized Sleep Quality Questionnaire(PSQL) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF). Data analysis was done with descriptive and logistic regression. All analyses were carried out using SPSS software V.19. Results A total of 275 students participated in this study. The mean age ± standard deviation (SD) was 22.1 ± 3.6 years. In the univariable model, students that were living in their own homes had the odds of 2.18 times more than the others to have a higher quality of life level [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.07-4.45]. Moreover, sleep disorder was negatively associated with the quality of life [odds ratio (OR) = 0.23; 95% CI: 0.12-0.46]. Conclusion These results will help university administrators and policy makers to identify factors associated with poor sleep and provide approaches to enhance sleep hygiene and relevant knowledge in university students. Living in a dormitoy while also suffering from sleep problems could significantly reduce the quality of life.

Sapropterin treatment does not enhance the health‐related quality of life of patients with phenylketonuria and their parents

Sapropterin causes reductions in blood phenylalanine concentrations in sensitive patients with phenylketonuria (PKU). We examined whether the subsequent relaxation of dietary restrictions influenced the quality of life (QoL) of patients and parents. The study cohort comprised 112 patients with PKU followed at the metabolic centre at Münster University Children's Hospital, Germany, from 2012 to 2015. A sapropterin response was defined as a ≥30% reduction in blood phenylalanine levels. The QoL of 38 children and adolescents from the study cohort, with a mean age of 12.4 (range 6.6-18.7) years, was assessed in an outpatient setting and 49 parents of children with PKU also commented on their child's QoL and their own. The participants' QoL was assessed before the start of therapy, and again after six months, using self-report questionnaires. After six months of continuous therapy or diet, QoL was largely unchanged in the patients, according to their self-reports and the parental reports. QoL also remained unchanged in the parents. Sapropterin did not seem to improve QoL in PKU patients and their parents. Patients with PKU had already reached high levels of QoL following classic diets, and these levels were not easily improved by sapropterin.

Quality of life of male amateur athletes from Pelotas, Brazil

The aims of the present study were to assess and compare the health habits and quality of life (QoL) of amateur athletes in different sports. A total of 88 male amateur athletes, engaged in team (n=33), individual (n=30) and combat sports (n=25) aged between 18 and 35 years participated in the experiment. The subjects underwent individual anamnesis and completed the WHOQOL-bref questionnaire to measure QoL. Information on the frequency and duration of training sessions was also collected. According to the findings, team sport athletes consumed more alcoholic beverages, and those from individual sports obtained higher values in the physical (83.7 ± 9.3 vs 76.8 ± 9.5 points, p = 0.03) and environmental domains (73.4 ± 11.6 vs 66.3 ± 8.9 points, p = 0.03) and overall QoL score (81.2 ± 6.7 vs 75.2 ± 7.9 points, p = 0.01), respectively. No correlations were found between QoL domains and time engaged in the sport (r = 0.01; p = 0.91), number of weekly training sessions (r = 0.09; p = 0.39) and session duration (r = -0.06; p = 0.59). Comparison of QoL results with those of the general population revealed higher levels in the physical and psychological components of amateur athletes. In the present study, engaging in sports was associated with higher QoL levels in amateur athletes, particularly in the physical and psychological domains. Moreover, correlations were found between the overall score and domains of QoL.

Difference in quality of life and associated factors among the elderly in rural Vietnam.

In Vietnam today, many generations remain living together in a family. With escalating urbanization and population aging, mental health disorders and the quality of life (QoL) among the elderly are gradually presenting themselves as of great concern. The objective of this study was to examine gender differences in QoL and some associated factors among the elderly in rural Vietnam using the QoL scale of WHO (WHOQOL-BREF). A cross-sectional study using quantitative methods. The proportion of the elderly men having higher level of QoL in physical health, psychological health and environment was higher than that of their women counterparts. Reversely, of those having medium and lower QoL, females made up a larger proportion than males. The overall QoL score in elderly men (75.32) was higher than that of women (72.32) and the same pattern was witnessed in all four domains of QoL. While higher QoL in elderly men was significantly correlated with 5 factors, aged ≥ 80 years, following Buddhism and Christianity, having better connection and without illness in the past 6 months, these among female counterparts are aged ≥ 80 years, completing secondary level or above, having medium and high socioeconomic status and without illness in the last 6 months.

Les relations entre la qualité de vie et le contexte de scolarisation d’élèves âgés de 5 à 11 ans présentant une déficience intellectuelle

ObjectiveThe objective of this study is to assess the quality of life (QOL) of children with intellectual disability (ID) aged from 5 to 11 years and to examine its relationship with their schooling context. MethodsChildren's QOL was measured using a generic instrument, the abbreviated form of the Multidimensional Student's Life Satisfaction Scale translated and adapted for children as young as 5 years old and children with ID. This instrument measures children's overall QOL as well as their life satisfaction in specific domains (family, school, friends, living environment and self). QOL was self-reported by 354 children aged from 5 to 11 years (average age=8.20, SD=1.732). Of these, 66 children with mild/moderate ID attended a regular school in an inclusive classroom (n=41, average age=9.24, SD=1.091) or a specialized institution (n=25, average age=9.37, SD=1,34) and 288 children without disability attended the French equivalents of Kindergarten to Grade 6 (average age=7.94, SD=1.73). In addition, questionnaires for parents and teachers/educators allowed us to collect sociodemographic data and information about children's education. ResultsResults show that children with ID report high levels of QOL. They are satisfied with the school, their friends and their life in general. However, their QOL appears impaired compared to their peers without disability, and especially for children enrolled in an inclusive classroom. The responses of these children point out variations between the establishment of some educational measures to compensate for their disabilities and their needs. Impairments and the variables linked to schooling context (educational care, schooling duration, etc.) accounted for most of the variation in the QOL of these children. ConclusionThese findings highlight the need to considerer children with ID above all like children having the same rights as others, to ensure their full participation in society. With a view to providing all children the best possible education, these results suggest to better adapt the aid measures introduced to children of inclusive classroom to encourage their participation in the community life of the school in order to promote their QOL and their educational inclusion and social integration.

Quality of Life, Mental Health and Educational Stress of High School Students in the Northeast of Thailand.

Majority of high school students in Thailand aim to study at universities. Therefore, they spend a lot of time studying in both classrooms and tutorial classes, that could cause stress, health problems and deteriorate their Quality Of Life (QOL). However, there has been no study on these issues in Thai context. To describe the status of QOL, mental health, educational stress, well-being and determine factors associated with QOL among high school students in the Northeast of Thailand. This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Northeast of Thailand among 1,112 students of grade 10th, 11th and 12th. Multistage random sampling was used to select high schools in 5 provinces. A self-administered questionnaire was used to assess QOL, educational stress, anxiety, depression and well-being. The association between the covariates was observed by using Generalized Linear Mixed (logistic regression) Model (GLMM). The prevalence of high level of QOL was 36% (95%CI: 32.30 to 41.69); whereas, 26.18% (95% CI: 16.72 to 35.63) had high level of educational stress and 16.41% (95% CI: 2.20 to 30.71) had severe anxiety. Prevalence of depression was 18.55% (95%CI: 9.86 to 27.23) and low level of well-being was 13.41% (95% CI: 0.18 to 27.14). The factors significantly associated with high QOL were; not having depression (Adj. OR= 3.07; 95%CI: (2.23 to 4.22); p<0.001), had high level of general well-being (Adj. OR=3.19; 95% CI:1.99 to 5.09; p<0.001) and had low to moderate level of anxiety (OR=1.60; 95%CI:1.01 to 2.67). Most of the high school students had low to moderate levels of QOL, educational stress and anxiety. Depression, anxiety and general well-being had influences on QOL of high school students.