scholarly journals Physical Health Complaints Among Lesbians, Gay Men, and Bisexual and Homosexually Experienced Heterosexual Individuals: Results From the California Quality of Life Survey

2007 ◽  
Vol 97 (11) ◽  
pp. 2048-2055 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan D. Cochran ◽  
Vickie M. Mays
2019 ◽  
Vol 91 (2) ◽  
pp. 198-213
Author(s):  
Henrique Pereira ◽  
Brian de Vries ◽  
Juan Pedro Serrano ◽  
Rosa Marina Afonso ◽  
Graça Esgalhado ◽  
...  

The purpose of this study was to assess levels of depressive symptoms and quality of life in older gay and bisexual older Spanish and Portuguese men and explore associations between these two samples and these variables. Using online surveys, 191 older gay and bisexual men from Spain and Portugal (mean age = 70 years) completed the Spanish and Portuguese versions of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies—Depression Scale and World Health Organization Instrument to Assess Quality of Life. Overall, moderate levels of depression and quality of life were found. Gay men and Spanish men report higher levels of depressive symptoms than bisexual and Portuguese men. Gay men score higher on physical health dimensions; bisexual men score higher on the social relationships dimension. Lower levels of physical health, psychological symptoms, and social relationships were significant predictors of depressive symptoms. These exploratory findings offer both similarities and differences between the samples from the two countries—and with U.S. data—and further evidence of the pervasive experience of depression in the lives of sexual minority older men with a renewed awareness of myriad contexts within which individuals age.


2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walid EL-Ansari ◽  
Christiane Stock

<p><strong>INTRODUCTION:</strong> We assessed gender differences in self-rated health (SRH) while considering physical health, health complaints, health service use, wider wellbeing, and health behaviours.</p><p><strong>METHODS:</strong> 3706 undergraduates at 7 Universities in the United Kingdom completed a self-administered questionnaire (2009–2008). Logistic regressions with excellent/very good SRH as dependent variable assessed the variables that explained the SRH sex difference. </p><p><strong>RESULTS:</strong> Females had more health complaints, illness periods, lower quality of life, more burdens, and took medication/s more often. The crude (unadjusted) odds ratio (OR) proposed that females were less likely to report excellent/very good SRH than males [OR 0.79, 95% CI 0.68-0.94]. Adjusting only for physical health and health service use, females’ OR increased considerably, and the association between female sex and SRH was no longer significant. Also, when adjusting only for wider well-being or when adjusting only for health behaviour, the negative association between females and SRH was no longer significant. Adjusting for all the variables simultaneously (physical health, health service use, wider well-being, health behaviours) resulted in considerable increase of females’ OR indicating now a positive association between female sex and SRH [OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.04-1.74].  </p><p><strong>CONCLUSION:</strong> Females’ lower SRH found in the crude analyses was confounded by their higher stress level, lower quality of life, lower physical activity and by more illnesses or health complaints when compared with males. Gender-related SRH research should control for many potential confounders to prevent overestimation of the gender effect. Health promotion programs should consider these factors when tackling gender health disparities.</p>


2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roseanne Illes ◽  
Azara L. Santiago-Rivera ◽  
Shannon Chavez-Korell ◽  
William Reyes ◽  
Melissa A. Rico ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 311-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gehan Elolemy ◽  
Ahmed Aboughanima ◽  
Sahar Ganeb ◽  
Haytham Elziat

Background: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic progressive inflammatory disease leading to functional limitations and subsequently impaired quality of life (QoL). Despite the fact that QoL was recognized as a significant perception, it was excluded from the core domains (defined by the Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society), because of ambiguity of measurement choice. Aim: To assess QoL in patients with AS using a generic; Short Form-36 (SF-36) and a diseasespecific; Ankylosing Spondylitis quality of life (ASQoL) instruments and to explore its relationship to the clinical characteristics, disease activity, functional status, and radiographic severity. Methods: A total of 47 AS patients who fulfilled modified New York criteria were included. Disease activity, functional status, spinal mobility, and radiographic severity were assessed by Bath AS Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), Bath AS Functional Index (BASFI), Bath AS Metrology Index (BASMI) and Bath AS Radiology Index (BASRI) respectively. SF-36 and ASQoL instruments evaluated Qol. Results: Physical health was more affected especially in patients with peripheral arthritis by SF-36 (p=0.008) and ASQoL (p=0.022) scores. Both SF-36 total and ASQoL scores correlated significantly with BASDAI (r = -0.329, p = 0.024 and r = 0.420, p = 0.003), BASFI (r = -0.399, p = 0.005 and r = 0.513, p=0.001) and BASMI (r = -0.382, p = 0.008 and r = 0.482, p= 0.001) respectively. Conclusion: QoL was impaired in AS patients with highest impact on physical health especially in association with peripheral arthritis. SF-36 and ASQol have a comparable achievement in the evaluation of QoL in AS patients and both physical function and spinal mobility were identified as predictors of poor QoL.


2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mir Hasan Shakil Mahmud ◽  
Bushra Yeasmin ◽  
Shipra Mandal

Schizophrenia is one of the major mental disorders which affect individual’s thinking ability, social interaction or attention. It affects person’s entire quality of life. The purpose of the study was to find out the quality of life of schizophrenic patient in Bangladesh. Cross sectional study design was used to conduct this study. The convenient sampling procedure was used throughout the process of participant’s selection and the numbers of respondents were 83. The study was carried out at National Institute of Mental Health and Hospital (NIMH), Dhaka. Data was collected by using face to face interview with a structured questionnaire WHOQOL-BREF (The World Health Organization Quality of Life- BREF) scale. It was found that most of the participants lead poor to moderate quality of life in four domains of the WHOQOL-BREF scale. Results showed that mean scores were for physical health (mean 2.7, SD+0.106); psychological health (mean 2.108, SD +0.0787); social relationship (mean 2.226; SD+0.116) and environmental health (mean 2.47; SD+0.077).This study indicated that, quality of life poor on psychological domain. It was also found statistically significance with age and social relationship domain (p value 0.005< 0.05); marital status and physical health domain (p value 0.004<0.05); educational level and physical health domain (p value 0.005<0.05) and environmental health domain (p value 0.025<0.05). There were no statistically significant difference between gender and other variables. Schizophrenia affects all aspects of person’s life such as physically, psychologically, socially and economically. Schizophrenic patients as well as their family members led very poor quality of life.Bang J Psychiatry June 2015; 29(1): 30-34


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 924
Author(s):  
Claudia B. Pratesi ◽  
Alessandra Baeza Garcia ◽  
Riccardo Pratesi ◽  
Lenora Gandolfi ◽  
Mariana Hecht ◽  
...  

Studies have shown that children and adolescents with autism and their relatives present a high level of stress and more family problems, impacting parents’ and caregivers’ quality of life (QoL). Despite studies on this subject, there is no specific questionnaire to evaluate QoL in parents or caregivers of children and adolescents with an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) in Brazil. Therefore, this study’s primary purpose was to develop and validate a specific questionnaire to evaluate QoL in these individuals. The study was performed using the following steps: development of the ASD Parent/caregiver QoL questionnaire (autistic spectrum disorder parent/caregiver quality of life—ASDPC-QoL), subjective evaluation, validation of the questionnaire by the Delphi method, assessment of internal consistency, responsiveness, and reliability of the ASLPC-QoL, and administration of the questionnaire to 881 Brazilian ASD caregivers or parents. ASDPC-QoL comprises 28 questions divided into four domains (social, concerns, physical and mental health) with good psychometric properties (reproducibility, reliability, internal consistency, responsiveness, and validity). Our data showed that worries and physical health were the domains with the lowest scores in ASDPCA-QoL. ASDPCA-QoL did not differ among gender and age of child considering the total and all domains. Older participants (≥41 y/o) presented the best scores for social and worries domains but did not differ in other domains and the total. Parents or caregivers of ASD children diagnosed for more than three years have better mental and physical health domains than those recently diagnosed (up to 1 year) but did not differ in the total and other domains. Individuals with a partner and with the highest educational level present the best score for the social domain. Employed individuals showed better scores than unemployed ones for all domains and the total, except for worries, which did not differ. It also occurred comparing the individuals that do not use antidepressants and the ones that use them. Assessing and better understanding the QoL of caregivers is highly relevant. By understanding the social, worries, physical, and emotional health domains of caregivers, it is possible to track harmful aspects, prevent and treat pathologies, in addition to assisting in the implementation of effective public policies.


Medicina ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 43
Author(s):  
Esme Brittain ◽  
Nina Muirhead ◽  
Andrew Y. Finlay ◽  
Jui Vyas

Background and objectives: To explore the impacts that Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) has on the patient and their family members using the WHOQOL-BREF (Abbreviated World Health Organisation Quality of Life questionnaire) and FROM-16 (Family Reported Outcome Measure-16) quality of life assessments. Materials and Methods: A quantitative research study using postal questionnaires was conducted. A total of 39 adult volunteers expressed an interest in participating in the study: 24 returned appropriately completed questionnaires. Patients with ME/CFS completed the WHOQOL-BREF and up to four of their family members completed the FROM-16 questionnaire. Results: ME/CFS negatively affects the quality of life of the patient (median scores WHOQOL-BREF: Physical health = 19, Psychological = 44, Social relationships = 37.5, Environment = 56, n = 24) and their family members’ quality of life (FROM-16: Emotional = 9.5, Personal and social = 11.5, Overall = 20.5, n = 42). There was a significant correlation between the patient’s reported quality of life scores and their family members’ mean FROM-16 total scores. Conclusions: This study identifies the major impact that having an adult family member with ME/CFS has on the lives of partners and of other family members. Quality of life of ME/CFS patients was reduced most by physical health compared to the other domains. Quality of life of family members was particularly impacted by worry, family activities, frustration and sadness. This highlights the importance of measuring the impact on the lives of family members using tools such as the FROM-16 in the ME/CFS clinical encounter and ensuring appropriate support is widely available to family members.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zeng-Rong Luo ◽  
Dong-Shan Liao ◽  
Liang-Wan Chen

Abstract Background To compare postoperative sexual dysfunction (SD) and quality of life (QOL) in Type A Aortic Dissection (AAD) Patients of Different Ages. Methods From January 2018 to December 2019, 204 AAD postoperative survivors in Union Hospital of Fujian Medical University were selected and were divided into young group (less than 50 years old) and elderly group (more than 50 years old). We evaluated SD according to the male International Erectile Dysfunction Index (IIEF-5) and female sexual function index (FSFI). The Short Form 12 Health Survey Questionnaire (SF-12) and Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire (Q-LES-Q) were used to investigate the QOL, Quick Inventory Depressive Symptomatology-Self Report (QIDS-SR) and the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) to investigate depressive symptoms. Results One hundred seventy-five patients completed all the questionnaire (85.8%). The total SD prevalence rate was 38.9% (68 cases), with 27.4% of the young (20 cases) and 47.1% of the elderly (48 cases). The age of non-SD and SD patients was 49.0 ± 11.5 and 56.9 ± 10.8 years, respectively (P = 0.03). Compared with non-SD patients, the total physical health of SD patients was significantly worse (P = 0.04), however, the mental health was not significantly worse (P = 0.77); the depressive symptoms did not expressed a significant difference between the SD and non-SD groups (QIDS-SR P = 0.15, BDI-II P = 0.06). Total physical health scores in the young SD group did not show significant better than elderly SD group (P = 0.24), however, total mental health scores showed significantly worse (P = 0.04), depressive symptoms scores were significantly higher (QIDS-SR P = 0.03, BDI-II P = 0.04). Conclusion The postoperative AAD SD prevalence of elderly is higher than that of young, and the total physical health of SD patients is poorer than those without SD patients. The young SD patients did not show a significant higher physical health scores than the elderly SD patients, instead, the young SD patients were more psychologically affected than the elderly SD patients, whose mental health was worse, and depression symptoms were more obvious, suggesting that the factors affecting the QOL of postoperative SD patients are related to physical factors, but the young postoperative SD patients mainly affected by psychological factors.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kayo Togawa ◽  
Huiyan Ma ◽  
Ashley Wilder Smith ◽  
Marian L. Neuhouser ◽  
Stephanie M. George ◽  
...  

AbstractWe examined cross-sectional associations between arm lymphedema symptoms and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in the Health, Eating, Activity and Lifestyle (HEAL) Study. 499 women diagnosed with localized or regional breast cancer at ages 35–64 years completed a survey, on average 40 months after diagnosis, querying presence of lymphedema, nine lymphedema-related symptoms, e.g., tension, burning pain, mobility loss, and warmth/redness, and HRQoL. Analysis of covariance models were used to assess HRQoL scores in relation to presence of lymphedema and lymphedema-related symptoms. Lymphedema was self-reported by 137 women, of whom 98 were experiencing lymphedema at the time of the assessment. The most common symptoms were heaviness (52%), numbness (47%), and tightness (45%). Perceived physical health was worse for women reporting past or current lymphedema than those reporting no lymphedema (P-value < 0.0001). No difference was observed for perceived mental health (P-value = 0.31). Perceived physical health, stress, and lymphedema-specific HRQoL scores worsened as number of symptoms increased (P-values ≤ 0.01). Women reporting tension in the arm had lower physical health (P-value = 0.01), and those experiencing burning pain, tension, heaviness, or warmth/redness in the arm had lower lymphedema-specific HRQoL (P-values < 0.05). Treatment targeting specific lymphedema-related symptoms in addition to size/volume reduction may improve some aspects of HRQoL among affected women.


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