World Health Organization Quality Of Life-BREF Research Articles

Dimensional model on how familial vulnerability and environmental factors impact transitional age youth psychopathology: The Transition_psy study.

Understanding psychopathology in transitional age youth (TAY) requires a complex model, incorporating familial vulnerability and environmental factors. A trans-diagnostic and dimensional approach seems the most appropriate. Transition_psy study aims to assess factors playing a role in TAY psychopathology and to define predictors. This article presents part of the Transition_psy study results, a case-control observational study. Youth aged 17 years old were recruited between June 2020 and December 2021, from both clinical [clinical population (CP) group] and non-clinical settings [non-clinical population (NCP) group]. Participants completed self-report questionnaires. The primary outcome to assess TAY psychopathology was the Youth-Self Report (YSR). We evaluated care needs with the Health of The Nation Outcome Scales For Children And Adolescents (HoNOSCA-SR) and quality of life with the World Health Organization Quality of Life - BREF (WHOQoL-BREF). Exposure factors included familial vulnerability, childhood, and present environmental factors, such as first-degree family history of psychopathology, the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and the Family Assessment Device (FAD). YSR scores were compared, between groups, according to exposure factors with ANOVA and linear regression. We performed best subsets selection of multivariable analyses based on the Akaike Information Criterion. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier: NCT04333797). A total of 220 TAY (CP = 106, NCP = 114) were included in the study. Participants were aged 17 years old. The majority were female (69.1%), single (96.8%), and born in Belgium (82.3%). Clinical data were all significantly different between CP and NCP groups. YSR scores were found statistically different according to group (p < 0.001), first-degree family history of psychopathology (p < 0.001), CTQ (p < 0.001), and FAD (p < 0.001). Predictive dimensional model suggested that TAY psychopathology can be predicted by group, CTQ and FAD. Significant positive correlation was found between YSR and HoNOSCA (rho = 0.81) and negative correlation between YSR and physical and psychological health (rho = -0.69 and -0.71, respectively). This study findings allowed to present a predictive dimensional model on TAY psychopathology, including belonging to a clinical population at transitional age, childhood trauma, and family dysfunction. Further research is needed to replicate Transition_psy study results in other samples. The proposed model could be used in clinical practice to improve assessment of TAY psychopathology.

Depression and Quality of Life among Women Hospitalized during COVID-19 Pandemic

Introduction: The outbreak of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) can lead to the development of several mental disorders. Women are an important part of any society, and psychological factors can affect their quality of life. The present study aimed to investigate the depression level among hospitalized women and its relationship with their quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 465 women admitted to public educational hospitals affiliated with the Minister of Health, Iran. The data collection tools were the Goldberg Depression Scale and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) Questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistical methods were used to analyze the data by applying SPSS software version 23. Results: According to the results, 48.60% of the women were mentally healthy. While 15.27% of them were more likely to develop depression, 13.12% of the others were borderline depressed. At the same time, 12.69% of the women who participated in the study suffered from a mild to moderate level of depression, 7.74% of women had moderate to severe depression, and 2.58% of the rest tolerated severe depression. Other results show that the mean score of quality of life (QOL) of the women was 58.49±11.51 (out of 120). Moreover, a significant and inverse correlation between depression and QOL was observed among the studied women (r=-0.564, P&lt;0.001). Statistically significant relationships between depression and the variables of age (P=0.007), place of residence (P=0.04), marital status (P=0.006), level of education (P&lt;0.001), and income level (P=0.03) were also observed. Moreover, there was also a statistically significant relationship between women's QOL and their marital status (P=0.02). Conclusion: According to the results, providing social support and establishing effective communication based on mutual interaction among hospitalized women and healthcare workers can be recommended to decrease their level of depressive disorder and enhance their QOL.

Factors Associated With Resilience Among People With Spinal Cord Injury in the Community Setting

Objectives: The present cross-sectional study was done to acknowledge the level of resilience, its association with quality of life (QoL), community integration, and demographic/injury-related variables, and identify the determinants that affect resilience among spinal cord injury individuals living in the community. Methods: The data were collected from 108 participants using the convenience sampling method. A demographic/injury-related questionnaire was used to identify the characteristics of the participants. The CD-RISC10, World Health Organization quality of life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF), and community integration questionnaire-revised (CIQ-R) were used to measure resilience, QoL, and community integration. Association between resilience and independent variables was examined through Pearson’s correlation and Point-Biserial correlation, whereas, univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses were applied to identify the influence of the demographic/injury-related factors that contribute to resilience, and independent t-test and ANOVA were employed to identify the determinants that affect resilience. Results: Almost 78% of participants had a moderate-to-high level of resilience. In multivariate analysis, gender, marital status, and profession were found to be statistically significant. Among these predictors, employment had a higher beta value (β=0.684, P=0.026), which signifies its importance in evaluating resilience. Significant associations were established between resilience, QoL domains, community integration, and demographic variables, which included marital status, duration since the injury, and frequency of going out. Discussion: The present research brings attention to the significance of using appropriate interventions, such as vocational rehabilitation support as well as awareness about the injury to help strengthen resilience and reintegration amongst SCI individuals into their communities. A further longitudinal study is recommended to determine predictive factors of the dynamic nature of resilience over time.

Development and implementation of self-supportive intervention on post-traumatic stress symptoms and quality of life among battered wives of Madhya Pradesh, India: A pilot study

Background: In India, intimate partner violence against women is a major problem that leads to terrible physical, sexual, emotional, psychological and economic consequences. In 55-92% of women who have a history of being abused wives, high levels of symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder have been discovered. Therefore, the quality of life is significantly low among them regardless of regions and countries. The purpose of the current study was to create and evaluate the effectiveness of a self-supportive intervention on the quality of life and post-traumatic stress symptoms among abused wives in Madhya Pradesh, India. Methods: The post-traumatic Symptoms Scale Interview version for DSM-5 (PSS-I-5) and WHO Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL) were used in this study as assessment tools. The Need assessment results showed that 51% of battered wives met the criteria of PTSD symptoms from moderate to severe and 83% experienced low quality of life. This study utilized a mixed research method and was executed in three phases, based on the main three elements of Conklin’s (1997) program development model, namely (1) planning; (2) design and implementation; and (3) evaluation of the newly created Self-Supportive Intervention program (SSI). The SSI program consisted of six modules, focused on addressing the issues that emerged through qualitative data and need assessments. Results: Excellent inter-rater reliability (.845) was found in the expert evaluation's findings, which supported the recommendation to use the SSI as it is with minor modification. The SSI was further pilot-tested for its feasibility with 10 battered wives and validated through the paired sample t-test, which showed a substantial decrease in post-traumatic stress symptoms and enhanced quality of life at 0.05 level of significance. Conclusion: This is an indication that the SSI program can be recommended as a psychological intervention in eliminating the PTSD symptoms and improving the quality of life.

Factors Influencing Subjective QOL Among Community-Dwelling People with SMI Receiving Home-Visit Occupational Therapy

IntroductionImproving the subjective quality of life (QOL) of people with severemental illness (SMI) is the main objective of psychiatric occupational therapy (OT). For people with SMI to perform desired daily activities, a newly designed home-visit OT has been implemented in Japan. This study aimed to investigate the predictors of subjective QOL in people with SMI receiving home-visit OT.MethodTwenty-five people with SMI (average age: 46.7 years) were recruited from 20 multidisciplinary outreach teams in Japan. They were diagnosed with either F2 (i.e., schizophrenia, schizotypal and delusional disorders) or F3 (i.e., mood [affective] disorders) using ICD-10. To create a predictive model of subjective QOL, we performed a stepwise multiple regression analysis using the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) total score as a response variable. The following independent variables were analyzed: demographic and clinical data, subjective evaluation of the scores of performance of and satisfaction with daily activity rated on a 10-point Likert scale, the Social Functioning Scale (SFS) total and subscale scores, and the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) Scale score.ResultsPredictors of subjective QOL were satisfaction in daily activity (adjusted β = 0.584) and social engagement of the SFS subscale (adjusted β = 0.405). The contribution rate of the model was 53.4%.ConclusionSatisfaction in daily activity and social engagement may contribute to individuals’ subjective QOL. To improve the subjective QOL of people with SMI, their satisfaction with daily activity and social participation should be promoted through meaningful daily activities.

The Chinese version of the Caregiver Difficulties Scale: Psychometric evaluation.

Evaluating caregiver burden and its health impact is an essential component of long-term care plan for children with disabilities; the Caregiver Difficulties Scale (CDS) has high conceptual sensitivity. The aim of this study was to adapt the CDS to Chinese and investigates the psychometric properties of this tool. The study was carried out among caregivers of children with cerebral palsy (n = 194). The CDS, Caregivers Burden Inventory (CBI) and World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) were used for data collection. Twenty experts were consulted to evaluate the content validity of the scale. The confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to measure the construct validity of CDS. The Spearman correlation coefficients were calculated among CDS, CBI and WHOQOL-BREF to examine the convergent validity and discriminant validity. The reliability was evaluated by examining internal consistency and test-retest reliability. The result of expert consultation showed that the S-CVI was 0.894 and the I-CVI ranged from 0.70 to 1.00. The fit indices showed that the original correlated four-factor model of CDS was adequate: χ2 = 268.397; df =243; χ2 /df =1.105; RMSEA = 0.023; CFI = 0.985; NNFI = 0.869; TLI = 0.982; IFI = 0.986. The score of CDS was positively strong associated with the scores of CBI (r= +0.764); negatively correlating with the scores of WHOQOL-BREF (r = -0.627). The Cronbach's alpha was 0.840; intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) value was 0.843. The Chinese version of the CDS is a valid and reliable tool to evaluate burden for caregivers of children with CP in China.

Relationship of Mindfulness with Depression, Self-Management, and Quality of Life in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: mindfulness is a Predictor of Quality of Life.

Mindfulness interventions have shown promising results in both psychological and clinical outcomes of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Depression, self-management, and quality of life (QOL) have shown improvement with mindfulness interventions; however, little is known about dispositional mindfulness and its relationship with depression, self-management, and QOL in type 2 diabetes mellitus. The aim of this study is to assess the relationship of dispositional mindfulness with depression, self-management, and QOL in patients of type 2 diabetes. Noncommunicable disease outpatient department of a tertiary care medical center of East India. Cross-sectional study. Ninety-nine patients with type 2 diabetes completed the Five Facets Mindfulness Questionnaire, Diabetes Self-Management Questionnaire, and World Health Organization QOL BREF questionnaire and Hamilton Rating Scale for depression. Pearson's correlation and hierarchical regression analysis using the SPSS software version 20.0. Describing, acting with awareness, and nonjudging facets of mindfulness showed a negative correlation with depression (P < 0.05). Acting with awareness and nonreactivity to inner experience were positively correlated with the physical activity domains of self-management (P < 0.05). All facets of mindfulness showed a positive correlation with four domains of QOL. In hierarchical regression analysis, after controlling for sociodemographic and clinical variables, mindfulness predicted the psychological domain of QOL, explaining 31% of the variance (P ≤ 0.001). However, mindfulness did not predict depression or self-management. Dispositional mindfulness is a strong predictor of QOL in type 2 diabetes mellitus and hence can be targeted with interventions to improve psychological outcomes.

Quality of Life and Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicines among Narcotics Anonymous Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study in Southeast Iran.

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.

Relationship between illness perceptions, self-management, and quality of life in adult with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Background: Few studies have examined the association between illness perception, self-management, and quality of life in adults with type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM), especially in resource-limited countries such as Indonesia. Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between illness perception, self-management, and quality of life in adult with type 2 DM in Indonesia. Methods: The inclusion criteria were adult aged over 18 years old and diagnosed with type 2 DM. Convenience sampling was used in this study. A total of 351 patients with type 2 DM was recruited (response rate= 97.50%). This study used the following instrument: World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF), The Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (B-IPQ), and Diabetes Self-Management Questionnaire (DSMQ). A Hierarchical regression models were constructed by using the score of overall QOL and those for each domain as the dependent variables. Results: The mean age was 54 (SD=8.14) years old and the mean time living with type 2 DM was 92 (SD=82.88) months. Higher illness perception score was significantly associated with lower physical health scores (β = -.395, SE = .096), psychological health (β = -.365, SE = .110), social relationships (β = -.363, SE = .138), and environment health (β = -.367, SE = .105). Conclusion: The findings indicated that poorer illness perceptions are associated with a lower quality of life. The findings establish a foundation for future interventions aimed at altering illness perceptions in order to promote self-care and improved quality of life in people with diabetes.

QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG PATIENTS AT VARIOUS STAGES OF CKD

The present study explored quality of life among patients of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) at various stage of the disease. CKD is a progressively degenerative disease in which kidney function deteriorates leading to End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) or renal failure. CKD, being among the leading health problem internationally, affects 1 in 7 American adults. Internationally CKD is estimated to have 13.4% prevalence. Sample of the current study comprises of 620 patients (males = 310, females = 310) of all five stages of CKD from CDK I to ESRD. A self constructed demographic form was used to take basic information from the patients. WHO Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) was administered to assess the quality of life of the patients and Salma Siddiqui Depression Scale (SSDS) was used to assess depression level across various stages of CKD. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was applied to analyze the data. Results indicated that stages of CKD had significant impact on QOL F(4, 305) = 13.25, p &lt; .001, physical health domain F(4, 305) = 6.18, p &lt; .001, psychological health domain F(4, 305) = 13.21, p &lt; .001, social health domain F(4, 305) = 16.73, p &lt; .001, environment domain F(4, 305) = 15.63, p &lt; .001 of the patients. Moreover, it was found that QOL was better among patients with CKD I. Keywords: Chronic Kidney Disease, End Stage Renal Dysfunction, Quality of Life, Depression, Health-Related QOL, Glomerulus Filtration Rate.

The determinants of health-related quality of life among patients with newly diagnosed lung cancer in Taiwan: A cross-sectional study.

Although considered one of the most important prognostic factors for lung cancer patients, the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of the newly diagnosed lung cancer population remains scarcely focused on in the literature. Therefore, we aimed to identify the determinants of HRQOL among newly diagnosed lung cancer patients in Taiwan. Two hundred and fifty patients newly diagnosed with lung cancer were recruited from a medical center in northern Taiwan through convenience sampling. Four structured questionnaires, including the Taiwanese version of the MD Anderson symptom inventory (MDASI-T), the Taiwanese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI-T), the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF), and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF), were used to collect data. Further, a multivariate stepwise linear regression was conducted to determine the independent risk factors for HRQOL. A p value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The patients (mean age was 61.04 years, 51.2% male, 94.0% non-small-cell lung cancer, 56.4% stage IIIB-IV) had moderate levels of HRQOL among the physical, psychological, social, and environmental domains, as well as overall QOL. HRQOL was not correlated with married status, religion, and comorbidity. Gender, age, family income, smoking status, cancer stage, ECOG PS scores, PA, symptom burden (severity and interference), and PSQI global scores were correlated with HRQOL. Notably, symptom severity was the dominant negative predictor affecting the psychological and environmental domains of QOL (β = -4.313 and -3.500, respectively), accounting for 23.2% and 14.6% of the variance, respectively. On the other hand, symptom interference was the dominant negative predictor affecting the physical and social domains of QOL, as well as overall QOL (β = -3.592, -1.984, and -0.150, respectively), accounting for 44.4%, 15.0%, and 24.1% of the variance, respectively. Newly diagnosed lung cancer patients suffered symptom severity and interference that significantly impaired their HRQOL; particularly, symptom interference affected the physical domain of QOL. Healthcare professionals should pay more attention to cancer-related symptom severity, symptom interference, and HRQOL changes when caring for newly diagnosed lung cancer patients.

Effects of COVID-19-related psychological distress and anxiety on quality of sleep and life in healthcare workers in Iran and three European countries.

The COVID-19 pandemic has considerably affected human beings most of whom are healthcare workers (HCWs) combating the disease in the front line. This cross-sectional study aims to explore the effects of stress and anxiety caused by COVID-19 on the quality of sleep and life in HCWs, including physicians, nurses, and other healthcare staff. In this global study, we asked 1,210 HCWs (620 and 590 volunteers from Iran and European countries, including Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy, respectively), who age 21-70, to participate in the test. Several measures of COVID-related stress, anxiety, sleep, and life quality, including the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), Fear of COVID-19 scale (FCV-19S), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) are recorded. Volunteers reported high rates of stress and anxiety and poor sleep quality as well as lower quality of life. The correlation analysis between the measures is reported. According to the results, regardless of the location, HCWs, predominantly female nurses, developed anxiety and stress symptoms which consequently resulted in lower sleep and life quality. Both for Iranian and the European HCWs, significant differences existed between nurses and the other two groups, with the p-values equal to 0.0357 and 0.0429 for GHQ-12, 0.0368, and 0.714 for BAI measure. Even though nurses reported the most stress, anxiety, fear of COVID-19, lower quality of life and sleep in both countries, and also an increase in other measures as well, there existed no statistically significant difference in FCV-19S, PSQI, and WHOQOL-BREF. This study helps to expand our knowledge the effects of pandemics on HCWs and also for healthcare management to predict HCW's mental health conditions in similar situations.

The Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Hong Kong Nursing Students' Mental Health and Quality of Life.

Evidence shows that university students, especially healthcare students, experienced considerable health impacts during COVID-19. This study examined Hong Kong general nursing students' mental health and quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic. An online questionnaire composed of personal demographics, the Fear of COVID-19 scale (FCV-19S), the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale short version (DASS21), and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) was used for data collection in early 2021. Among 380 respondents, 170 (45%) did not attend clinical practicum during the pandemic. Students who did not participate in clinical training scored lower in FCV-19S but higher in WHOQOL-BREF than those who participated (p = 0.001 or p < 0.001). FCV-19S and WHOQOL-BREF were negatively correlated (r = -0.623 to -0.446, p < 0.001). Slight negative correlations were found between the FCV-19S and DASS-21 scores. Although there were no significant differences in DASS21 (p = 0.294-0.931) between these two student groups, there was a considerably high prevalence rate of depression (57.1%), anxiety (47.6%), and stress (39.5%). Hong Kong nursing students, especially those who attended clinical practicum during the pandemic, experienced substantial emotional and quality of life implications. Local universities are recommended to organize appropriate interventions to prepare and support nursing students' wellbeing and health in coping with future disasters.

The Relationship between COVID-19 Prevention Measures and Quality of Life for the Elderly with Hypertension during the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study aimed to determine the relationship between COVID-19 prevention measures and the quality of life for the elderly with hypertension during the COVID-19 pandemic. This was a descriptive correlation study that applied a cross-sectional approach that involved 133 respondents who were selected using the convenience sampling technique. Data were collected using questionnaires from the World Health Organization Quality of Life – BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) and COVID-19 prevention measures. The collected data were processed using the Chi-Square test in univariate and bivariate analyses. The results showed that the number of elderly participants who took positive and negative efforts in preventing COVID-19 transmission was almost equal, with a slightly higher number of participants taking positive efforts with a total of 69 people (51.9%). There was also a higher number of elderly participants who had a good quality of life with 71 people (53.4%). The Chi-Squared test results indicated a relationship between COVID-19 prevention measures and the quality of life of elderly patients with hypertension during the COVID-19 pandemic with a p-value of 0.008. Therefore, it can be concluded that prevention efforts in the form of health behaviors for the elderly with certain chronic diseases comorbid with COVID-19 can affect their quality of life.

Health-related quality of life among postpartum women with preeclampsia, southern Ethiopia: a prospective cohort study

BackgroundPreeclampsia affects the health of the mother and the fetus during pregnancy and childbirth. To date, little is known about the impact of preeclampsia on postpartum health-related to quality of life (HRQoL) in the Sidama region of southern Ethiopia. This study aimed to measure the HRQoL and its contributing factors among postpartum women with preeclampsia in the Sidama region.MethodsA prospective cohort study was conducted by enrolling pregnant women at ≥20 weeks of gestation up until the 37th week of gestation. We then followed them until 12 weeks after delivery. A locally validated, World Health Organization Quality-of-Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) tool was used to assess participants’ HRQoL at two time points; the 6th and 12th weeks postpartum. Assessment of HRQoL of participants was based on total scores on the WHOQoL-BREF. Higher scores on the WHOQoL-BREF reflected a higher HRQoL. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to evaluate the contributing factors to HRQoL. The level of significance was determined at a p-value of < 0.05.ResultsThe HRQoL of postpartum women with preeclampsia significantly improved over time from 6 (151 ± 17) to 12 weeks (167 ± 18), p < 0.001). However, the overall HRQoL scores were lower (156 ± 16, p < 0.001) among women with preeclampsia compared to normotensive women (181 ± 21). An experience of early neonatal death was found to have a significant negative effect on the HRQoL of women with preeclampsia [β = − 2.1, 95% CI: − 3.43– − 0.85] compared to normotensive women who did not have early neonatal death. At 6 weeks of the postpartum period, the physical domain was found to have a significantly higher contribution to the lower HRQoL [β = 1.04, 95% CI: 0.88–1.12] compared to normotensive women, while other factors were constant.ConclusionsThe HRQoL of women with preeclampsia improved over time from 6 to 12 weeks in the postpartum period. Lower HRQoL was observed among postpartum women with preeclampsia, especially among those who experienced preterm birth or early neonatal death. The effects of preeclampsia on the HRQoL of postpartum women should be considered in redesigning postnatal care intervention services.

Caregivers’ Quality of Life: Comparative Analysis of Psychiatric ward and General Caregivers Quality of Life

Mental illness affects at least one in four people, either directly or indirectly. Caregivers play a significant role in fulfilling the vital physical needs and psychological wellbeing of mentally ill patients. Caregiving for mentally ill persons causes a burden to the caregivers. This burden reflects in the physical and mental health of the caregiver. This study was designed to explore the Quality of Life (QOL) of caregivers of mentally ill inpatients. In this descriptive, comparative cross-sectional study, the quality of life of caregivers of the psychiatric ward and general wards was studied by inpatients settings using the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) Scale. Caregivers of mentally ill patients have lower QOL levels, and it was observed that the WHOQOL-BREF score of the general ward was significantly higher than that of the psychiatric ward caregivers in all domains. This study would help manage, intervene, and identify the physical and mental health caregivers.

Correlation between Quality of Life and Burden in Caregivers of Advanced Stage Cancer Patients on Best Supportive Care.

Patients with advanced cancer with incurable diseases are generally cared for by their families in India. There is a lack of data on the perceived caregiver burden, quality of life (QOL) of patients and caregivers in India, especially among cancer patients not on any oncologic management. We conducted a cross-sectional study among 220 patients of advanced cancer on best supportive care and their respective 220 family caregivers. Our primary objective was to identify a correlation between caregiver burden and QOL. After taking informed consent from both patients and caregivers, we assessed the QOL of the patient using the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 15 Palliative Care (QLQ C15PAL) questionnaire from the patient, assessing the Caregiver Burden using Zarit Burden Interview, assessing the QOL of the caregiver using the WHO QOL BREF Questionnaire, in a single session during their routine follow-up in the Palliative Care Clinic of our institution. We noticed a statistically significant negative (Spearman) correlation between the Caregiver Burden as assessed by Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI) and the psychological (r = -0.302, P < 0.01), social (r= -0.498, P < 0.01) and environmental (r = -0.396, P < 0.01) domains of the WHO QOL BREF Questionnaire. Caregiving Burden as assessed ZBI total score was noted to have a statistically significant negative correlation with physical functioning (r = -0.37, P < 0.01), emotional functioning (r = -0.435, P < 0.01) and global QOL scores (r = -0.499, P < 0.01) assessed from the patient using the EORTC QLQ C15 PAL questionnaire. It also had a statistically significant small positive correlation with EORTC QLQ C15 PAL symptom scores, such as dyspnoea, insomnia, constipation, nausea, fatigue and pain. The median caregiver burden score was 39, showing higher burden as compared to previous studies. Caregivers who were spouses of the patient, illiterate, homemakers, with low-income families reported higher burden. A high perceived caregiving burden is associated with impaired QOL in family caregivers of advanced cancer patients on best supportive care. Multiple patient related factors and demographic factors tend to affect burden of the caregiver.

Quality of life assessment and its correlation with disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis patients

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease of unknown etiology that leads to synovial membrane inflammation &amp; destruction of the synovial joints. Quality of life (QoL) is a multidimensional concept that is used to describe the individuals’ perceptions, satisfaction, and evaluation of different areas of their own lives. Objective: to assess the impact of rheumatoid arthritis on the quality of life of the patients &amp; its correlation with disease activity &amp; functional impairment. Materials and methods: The study was carried out on 60 RA patients. All patients were subjected to complete clinical examination &amp; laboratory assessment. Disease activity had been assessed through Disease Activity Score 28 (DAS 28). Functional assessment by HAQ-DI (Health Assessment Questionnaire - Disability Index) was done. Quality of life assessment by: World Health Organization Quality of Life BREF (WHO QoL BREF) and Rheumatoid Arthritis Quality of Life (RAQoL). Sleep quality was assessed by PSQI. Results: There was significant negative correlation between QoL assessed by (WHO QoL BREF) &amp; DAS. There was significant positive correlation between QoL assessed by RAQoL &amp; DAS (P &lt; 0.001), quality of sleep assessed by (PSQI) &amp; DAS.

Medication Adherence, Attitude Towards Medication, and Quality of Life in Outpatients With Neurotic Disorders in Tehran, Iran: A Six-Month Follow-up Study

Objectives This study aims to investigate the attitude towards medication, medication adherence, and quality of life (QoL) in outpatients with neurotic disorders referred for the first time to the psychiatric clinic of Tehran Psychiatric Institute in Iran. Methods In this study, participants were adult outpatients with neurotic disorders referred to the psychiatric clinic of Tehran Psychiatric Institute for the first time, who had met the inclusion criteria (age 18-60 years, having a neurotic disorder diagnosed by the psychiatrist, and consent to participate in the study). At baseline and in one and six months after the first visit, they completed a demographic form, the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) and the drug attitude inventory (DAI-10). Their medication adherence was assessed using the medication possession ratio. Results Of 100 participants, 76 were females and had a mean age of 35.9 years. Favorable medication adherence significantly increased in the sixth month compared to the first month, and the number of patients with favorable medication adherence increased from 38 to 63. In comparing the overall score of QoL, a significant improvement was observed in the 1st and 6th months compared to baseline and in the sixth month compared to the first month (P&lt;0.001). Regarding the domains of the QoL, mental health and general health in the first and sixth months were significantly increased compared to the baseline (P&lt;0.001). Physical health domain was significantly increased in the sixth month compared to the first month (P&lt;0.001). Social relationships domain was significantly increased in the first month compared to the baseline (P= 0.001). Environmental health domain was significantly increased in the first month compared to the baseline (P=0.019). Comparison of the QoL score between patients with favorable and unfavorable medication adherence showed no significant difference (P=0.6). Attitude towards medication was significantly improved from baseline to the sixth month (P&lt;0.001). Conclusion The QoL and its some domains as well as medication adherence and attitude towards medication in outpatients with neurotic disorders seem to be improved after six months of follow-up. There is no significant difference in QoL between outpatients with favorable and unfavorable medication adherence.

Impact of Different Resistance Training Protocols on Balance, Quality of Life and Physical Activity Level of Older Women.

Background: Physical activity (PA) and physical fitness are key factors for quality of life (QoL) for older women. The aging process promotes the decrease in some capacities such as strength, which affect the activities of daily life. This loss of strength leads to a reduction in balance and an increased risk of falls as well as a sedentary lifestyle. Resistance Training (RT) is an effective method to improve balance and strength but different RT protocols can promote different responses. Power training has a higher impact on the performance of activities of daily life. Therefore, our study aimed to analyze if different RT protocols promote individual responses in balance, QoL and PA levels of older women and which are more effective for the older women. Methods: Ninety-four older women were divided into four RT groups (relative strength endurance training, SET; Traditional strength training, TRT; absolute strength training, AST; power training, PWT) and one control group (CG). Each RT group performed a specific protocol for 16 weeks. At baseline and after 8 and 16 weeks, we assessed balance through the Berg balance scale; PA levels with a modified Baecke questionnaire and QoL with World Health Organization Quality of Life—BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) and World Health Organization Quality of Life—OLD module (WHOQOL-OLD). Results: Balance improved after 16 weeks (baseline vs. 16 weeks; p < 0.05) without differences between all RT groups. PWT (2.82%) and TRT (3.48%) improved balance in the first 8 weeks (baseline vs. 8 weeks; p < 0.05). PA levels increased in PWT, TRT and AST after 16 weeks (baseline vs. 16 weeks; p < 0.05). Conclusion: All RT protocols improved PA levels and QoL after 16 weeks of training. For the improvement of balance, QoL and PA, older women can be subjected to PWT, AST and SET, and not be restricted to TRT.