Quality of Life in Patients with Chronic Pain- A Study in Indian Population Using European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer(EORTC) Questionnaire

Quality of life in chronic pain Health-related quality of life was compared in patients of chronic pain with that of general population.We designed this study as a prospective, observational trial in a tertiary care centre. Quality of life was measured using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30). The EORTC QLQ-C30 is a valid alternative to the SF-36 in the assessment of QOL in patients with chronic pain especially when a broader assessment of symptoms is desired. All participants completed a set of questionnaires on demographic variables, cause, pain intensity (VAS) and quality of life (EORTC qlq c30). A total of two hundred participants were enrolled including 100 patients with chronic pain. Chronic pain was defined as one which is persisting beyond 3 months. The study revealed significantly decreased quality of life in patients with chronic pain as compared to general population (p?<?0.001). Patients with chronic pain had significantly decreased score in Physical functioning, Role functioning, emotional and social functioning on functional scales and increased scores of pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances and financial difficulties on symptom scales. The study revealed sex-related differences on the QoL with females having a lower global QOL. It is thus concluded that patients with chronic pain especially females have decreased quality of life as compared to general population     

Explaining the Effects of Narrative in an Entertainment Television Program: Overcoming Resistance to Persuasion

Research has examined the ability of entertainment‐education (E‐E) programs to influence behavior across a variety of health and social issues. However, less is known about the underlying mechanisms that account for these effects. In keeping with the extended elaboration likelihood model (E‐ELM) and the entertainment overcoming resistance model (EORM), we examined how story features, such as narrative transportation and involvement with characters, may reduce three forms of resistance to persuasion—reactance, counterarguing, and perceived invulnerability. In a between‐subjects experiment, 367 undergraduates viewed either a dramatic narrative or a nonnarrative program about the difficult consequences of an unplanned teen pregnancy. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing their reactions to the program immediately after viewing and again 2 weeks later. Consistent with predictions derived from the EORM and E‐ELM, the dramatic narrative reduced reactance by fostering parasocial interaction with characters and decreasing perceptions of persuasive intent. Also as expected, identification with characters in the narrative reduced counterarguing and increased perceived vulnerability to unplanned pregnancy—although the latter occurred only at the delayed posttest 2 weeks after exposure. Unexpectedly, transportation into the dramatic narrative was associated with greater counterarguing. Taken together, this research demonstrates that investigating narrative influence from the perspective of overcoming resistance is a useful approach. Findings also suggest important differences in how individuals process narrative and nonnarrative messages.