Quality of Life (QoL) in a Brazilian Sample of Older Adults: The Role of Sociodemographic Variables and Depression Symptoms

The aim of the present study was to identify relevant variables associated with Quality of Life (QoL) in older adults. Older adults, up to 60 years old, were interviewed. Subjects were recruited through convenience sampling. 339 paticipants, who were stratified by gender, age, and subjective perception of health and illness, answered questions on sociodemographic issues, QoL (WHOQOL-100) and depressive symptomathology (Beck Depression Inventory—BDI). The multiple linear regression analysis showed associations of overall perception of QoL with depression levels, subjective perception of health status and gender. The individual analysis of each domain concluded that depression levels are correlated to all QoL domains, while health status was associated with physical, psychological, independence level and social relationship domains. Other variables were also assessed. The assessment of older adults concerning their QoL perceptions is associated with gender, age, marital status, social class, literacy rate, perception of health, and more substantially associated with depressive symptoms levels. Nevertheless, some limitations of this study and further ones are suggested.     

Factor structure of the Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale Revision 4 (SQLS-R4)

The Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale Revision 4 (SQLS-R4) appears to offer excellent potential as an easily administered and patient acceptable assessment and monitoring measure of quality of life (QoL). However, a principle psychometric criterion crucial to the use and validity of the instrument concerns the underlying factor structure. The SQLS-R4 comprises two sub-scales, these being cognition and vitality QoL and psychosocial feelings QoL. However, the factor structure of the SQLS-R4 has yet to be established in a patient group in the UK. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted on the SQLS-R4 to determine its psychometric properties in 100 patients with a primary ICD-10 diagnosis of schizophrenia. Internal reliability of the SQLS-R4 cognition and vitality QoL and psychosocial feelings QoL sub-scales was found to be excellent. Consistent with the original validation of the SQLS-R4, two correlated factors comprising cognition and vitality QoL and psychosocial feelings QoL were observed to offer the best fit to the data. In conclusion, the SQLS-R4 would appear to be suitable for use in patients with a primary diagnosis of schizophrenia in the UK. Potential clinical uses and the direction of future research with the SQLS-R4 are indicated.     

Quality of Life and Spirituality in Indian University Students

Applied Research in Quality of Life - University students can experience low levels of quality of life (QoL). Previous research has indicated a positive relationship between spirituality and QoL....     

Different Perspectives Regarding Quality of Life in Chronically ill and Healthy Individuals

The areas that were suggested as most important with regard to Quality of Life (QoL) were examined in groups of individuals who were healthy, and those with a chronic condition. An electronic survey was completed by 892 participants (261 healthy and 631 with a chronic condition). They answered three questions relating to QoL: what is most important to you; what areas most impact your QoL; and an open question what does QoL mean to you. Across the three questions both groups highlighted physical functioning, independence and mobility as key areas for QoL. However, the group with a chronic condition tended to find issues of functioning such as pain, fatigue, and sleep as more important to their QoL than the healthy participants. In contrast, the healthy participants tended to note the importance of relationships and family as more important than the group with a chronic condition. That there were such differences between the groups might suggest that different aspects of QoL could be rated as more important when examining this issue with samples with a chronic condition and those without such a condition.     

Quality of Life from an Evolutionary Perspective

Quality of Life (QoL) is a multi-dimensional concept that includes: a) the long-term sustainability of the earth; b) good health, education, welfare; and c) the psychological state of wellbeing. This article, which introduces a special issue on QoL from an evolutionary perspective, shows how modern evolutionary science provides a “toolkit” for studying all aspects of QoL.     

The Brunnsviken Brief Quality of Life Scale (BBQ): Development and Psychometric Evaluation

Measurements of subjective quality of life (QoL) are an important complement to symptom ratings in clinical research and practice. Despite there being several established QoL self-rating scales, we identified a need for a freely accessible, easy-to-use inventory, validated for use with both clinical and non-clinical samples, based on the overall life satisfaction conceptualization of QoL. The Brunnsviken Brief Quality of life scale (BBQ) was designed to meet these requirements. Items were selected by performing a factor analysis on a large data-set of QoL ratings collected previously. Six life areas (Leisure time, View on life, Creativity, Learning, Friends and Friendship, and View of self) were identified as important for overall QoL and were included in the BBQ. A psychometric evaluation was performed using two independent samples: healthy undergraduate students (n = 163), and a sample seeking treatment for social anxiety disorder (n = 568). Results suggested a unifactorial structure, with good concurrent and convergent validity, high internal and test-retest reliability, and accurate classification ability. We conclude that the BBQ is a valid and reliable measure of subjective QoL for use in clinical and research settings. The BBQ is presently available in 31 languages and can be freely downloaded from www.bbqscale.com.     

Quality of Life Assessment for Physical Activity and Health Promotion

Despite the clear relationship of physical activity and quality of life (QoL), QoL measures are seldom targeted for physical activity and health promotion. The current research attempted to address that gap by developing a QoL measure based on a conceptual model that reflects positive health and is relevant for physical activity and health promotion programs. In the project, which extended over three phases, an initial 70-item QoL survey was administered to university students and community program participants (total n = 512) along with measures of satisfaction with life and physical activity. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed clear social, emotional, cognitive, physical, spiritual and functional (ADL) QoL factors as well as integrated QoL. The resulting 32-item QoL Survey fits the conceptual model, demonstrates logical relationships with physical activity and has sufficient psychometric properties for use in related research and health promotion programs.     

Evaluation of Life Quality and its Spatial Mismatch with Local Economic Development in Large Chinese Cities

Quality of life (QoL) is an important factor which influences local economic development (LED). The study aims to evaluate the quality of life in large Chinese cities and explore the relationship between life quality and local economic development. By constructing the index system of QoL of large cities, this study analyses the spatial pattern of QoL in 39 largest cities across China and then introduces the spatial mismatch method to analyse the relationship between QoL and LED. The results point to the significant differences in QoL among large Chinese cities and unlock the spatial mismatch between QoL and LED in these cities. The quality of life is generally better than local economic development in large cities across Western China and different cities display various spatial mismatch features. This study also shows that local economic development can promote quality of life, though they do not merely stand in a quantitative relation. Quality of life is related more to the economic structure. It is suggested that future urban development focus on high value-added and environmental-friendly industries, which can improve both local economic development and quality of life.

     

Quality of Life in Old Age: Problematic Issues

Quality of Life (QoL) is a concept widely used in gerontology, as well as in other fields such as anthropology, health sciences, psychology, sociology and political sciences. Historically, although Aristotle is considered as an antecedent, the term QoL emerged in about the sixties in scientific literature. In the field of ageing, it is considered as an outcome of projects, programmes, services or policies and is used for describing populations, contexts and individuals. QoL is considered by most experts as a multidimensional concept involving multiple domains (health, psychological, social and environmental), containing objective and subjective components. Nevertheless, in recent years, QoL has been reduced to the subjective appraisal, to health or to subjective psychological attributes such as well-being, happiness or life satisfaction. Moreover, conceptual confusions can be found between QoL and other concepts related to positive ageing. In this conceptually-driven paper, after reviewing a set of expert and lay conceptualizations of QoL and identifying the diversity of its components, three critical issues will be discussed: its reduction to health or to the subjective appraisal of a set of domains, the confusion of QoL with other subjective or positive concepts and, finally, its methodological reductionism to self-reports as an exclusive procedure for QoL data collection. From these criticisms some conceptual and methodological suggestions are proposed.     

Agreement of Children and Parents Scores on Chinese Version of Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Version 4.0: Further Psychometric Development

Applied Research in Quality of Life - Quality of life (QoL) is an important index that allows health practitioners to understand the overall health status of an individual. One commonly used...     

Illness Perception Mediates the Effect of Illness Course on the Quality of Life of Mexican Patients with Psychosis

Learning about possible factors influencing, positively or negatively, the Quality of Life (QoL) of patients with psychosis is an important task for both, research and treatment. The study examined the association of illness course with QoL in a sample of Mexican patients with psychosis. It was hypothesized that illness perception would mediate the relation of illness course to QoL. Sixty-one (56 % female) patients were interviewed and assessed for illness course (relapses, residual symptoms, and diagnosis), QoL, and illness perception. Mediation analyses (simple and multiple) with bootstrapping procedures were applied, including residual symptoms as the predictor of QoL, and illness perception dimensions as candidate mediators. Residual symptoms, rather than a relapsing course or a diagnosis of schizophrenia, have a diminishing effect in the subjective QoL. This effect is fully mediated by illness perception, particularly by the cognitive and the emotional representations. Results underscore the importance that patients’ beliefs have on their perceived QoL, encouraging further research and development of interventions targeting illness perceptions.     

癌症病人的生活质量及心理干预研究

本研究在前期研究的基础上进一步探讨癌症病人的生活质量状况和心理干预的效果。运用病例对照实验设计 ,选用生活质量问卷 (QLQ C3 0 )作为主要测查工具 ,采用两因素混合实验方差分析统计方法 ,对 1 2 0名住院化疗病人进行了比较分析。结果显示 :躯体功能 (PF)、角色功能 (RF)、情绪功能(EF)、认知功能 (CF)和整体生活质量 (QL)得分在治疗前后和实验与对照组之间的交互作用均显著和非常显著 ;症状量表和单项症状中交互作用显著和非常显著的有 :疲乏 (FA)、呼吸困难 (DY)、失眠 (SL)、食欲丧失 (AP)。因此 ,化疗对病人的生活质量有明显的影响 ,经心理干预后癌症病人的各种功能状况和症状得到不同程度的改善。     

Quality of Life among Caregivers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders,Intellectual Disability,and Typical Development

Applied Research in Quality of Life - The quality of life (QoL) of the caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disabilities has received limited attention in emerging...     

Psychological Factors Associated with a Better Quality of Life Following Head-Up Tilt Testing

Quality of life (QoL) is reduced in patients with recurrent vasovagal (VVS) or unexplained syncope (US). Little is known concerning the natural evolution of QoL following diagnosis. Psychological factors contributing to QoL improvement, such as psychological distress and self-efficacy remain to be explored. The objective of this study is to examine whether QoL changes 2 months and 6 months following head-up tilt (HUT) testing as well as to determine whether psychological factors are predictive of changes in QoL. Seventy-three patients undergoing HUT for recurrent syncope were interviewed 1 month before as well as 2 months and 6 months following HUT, using semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. Pre-HUT QoL was significantly worse than at the 2-month (p = 0.000) and 6-month follow-ups (p = 0.000). Psychological distress at baseline was associated with worse QoL 2 months post-HUT (Beta = .280; p = .024), independently of socio-demographic and clinical factors. Improved self-efficacy at follow-up predicted improvements in QoL (Beta = −.186; p = .023). Two and 6 months post-HUT, QoL is mproved in patients with recurrent syncope. Better QoL is predicted by low psychological distress and a heightened sense of self-efficacy following HUT. Strategies for enhancing self-efficacy and reducing psychological distress could be an efficient way to promote QoL in patients suffering from recurrent syncope.     

Quality of Life Before and After Cataract Surgery: Research in a Sample of Polish Patients

The goal of this paper is to present possible change in quality of life (QoL) in older sample of people with vision disturbances. The patients were investigated twice: before (N = 193) and 4 month after the cataract surgery (N = 69), by means of the scale for vision functioning, and the Life Quality Questionnaire (Schalock & Keith, 1993) extend with the items measuring health related quality of life (HRQoL). Two problems were formulated: To what extent are visual defects associated with the decreased subjective QoL? What changes are observed in perceived QoL during the period of treatment of visual defects? The patients reported significant increase of HRQoL, however they did not report similar increase of a general QoL. Few reasons are considered: overlapping of the content of visual function scales and HRQoL and different indices of a general QoL and HRQoL, lack of a proper postoperative care, low socio-economic status of the participants, and too high expectation concerning better functioning after the surgery.     

A Mixed Methods Approach to Vulnerability and Quality of Life Assessment of Waste Picking in Urban Nigeria

Quality of life (QoL) studies have become acceptable globally as indicators of how well a people are living. They are increasingly being used to identify and design areas of intervention to raise the wellbeing of a population. While studies on livelihoods in the informal waste recycling system of developing country cities have also been on the increase in recent years, assessments of the QoL expectations within the livelihoods framework in the informal waste recycling sector seem surprisingly few. Studies of this nature have also not been undertaken in the context of Nigerian socio-political, cultural and economic environment. Applying qual-dominant mixed methods approach to the livelihood activity of waste picking in the commercial city of Aba in southeastern Nigeria, this paper identifies predominant social indicators relevant to the Aba scavengers, waste pickers?? perceptions and QoL expectations, and potential outcomes of meeting the QoL expectations of waste pickers in the area. It also categorizes pickers?? vulnerabilities into four levels of increasing magnitude. Given that African social dynamics do not always or often find expression, fully or partially, in figures, the paper stresses the need to apply ethnographic and qualitative research methods in assessment of QoL and wellbeing in the informal waste recycling system. It further argues that integrating QoL assessments into public decision-making and social policy in Nigeria will contribute significantly towards meeting some of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) while also engendering sustainable urban livelihood outcomes.     

Infant Socioeconomic Position and Quality of Life in Midlife: A 50-Year Follow-Up Study of 2079 Individuals in Denmark

Applied Research in Quality of Life - During the last decades, an important line of public health research has focused on the influence of socioeconomic position (SEP) on the quality of life (QoL)...