Journal Articles on Category: Social Sciences

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the dimension of quality of life and its relationship with cognitions regarding their illness in 30 patients between the ages of 48 and 82 years old who had been given the diagnosis of Prostate Hyperplasia and who were administered the Short Form Health Survey (SF36), the Illness Cognitive Questionnaire (ICQ) and the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS). Results showed an important deterioration in the quality of life of these patients. Cognitions about the disease got an average score in all their dimensions and a very negative appraisal of the prostate symptoms was found. In conclusion, the unfavorable perception of the Prostate Hyperplasia increases with the severity of the physical symptoms especially due to the impact these have on the associated psychosocial factors, thus affecting the quality of life of the people who suffer from this disease

Issn:01239155

Keywords: Quality of life related to health ; Cognitions regarding the disease ; Prostate Hyperplasia ; Symptoms

Volume: 9

Pages: 47-56

The aim of this work was to investigate relationships between life quality, ways of coping, personality and socialsupport in a sample of 60 participants (43 women and 17 men) with a diagnosis of non-ulcer dyspepsia, ranging in agefrom 18 to 60 years. We used self-report questionnaires of life quality (Dyspepsia Related Health Scale, QOLPE-I; Ruiz etal., 2000), ways of coping (Cuestionario de Afrontamiento del Estrés, CAE; Sandin & Chorot, 2003), personality (EysenckPersonality Questionnaire Revised-Abbreviated, EPQR-A; Sandin et al., 2002), and social support (cuestionario de ApoyoSocial, [AS]; Matud, 1998). Significant differences were found on ways of coping related to problem solving, positivereappraisal and evitation.

Issn:16579267

Keywords: Non-ulcer dyspepsia ; quality of life ; social support ; facing and personality

Volume: 5

Pages: 511-520

Research purpose was to describe quality-of-life (QoL) and coping process in a sample of 194 elderly people in MexicoCity, towards their problems and illnesses. Results showed that 63.9% presented some illness, mainly chronicdegenerative(53.9%). QoL among ill adults vs non-ill persons was significantly different (t = -4.38, d.f. = 184,p<0,000), however QoL resulted a non dependent variable of the problems presented by the subjects, nor the type ofillness, neither the coping process. The problem presented more frequently was with family members (33.7%) and thecoping process was towards the behavior (54.2%). Factorial analysis of the coping questionnaire provided four factors(explained variance = 37.49%): active, confrontative, with positive re-appreciation and avoiding. It is concluded that QoL goeswith the coping process of illness.

Issn:16579267

Keywords: Quality-of-life ; coping ; illnesses in older adults ; problems in elderly people ; aging

Volume: 5

Pages: 501-509

The purpose of this study was to describe the quality of life among 33 patients with chronic kidney disease inhaemodialysis treatment and to establish whether there were differences features between them, due to adherencebehavior. Health Survey SF-36 was used, biochemical and clinical data was registered, as medical support for theadherence criteria. Significant decline in quality of life was evidenced in these patients; nevertheless the social functionwas preserved. The results of the t-student for independent samples showed significant differences in physical function,between the groups of patients with and without adherence to treatment (n = 19 and n = 13 respectively). Likewise,the first group reveal better quality of life related with mental health while the another group was related with physicalaspects. The implications of these results are discussed.

Issn:16579267

Keywords: Quality of life ; treatment adherence ; chronic disease ; haemodialysis patients ; end-stage renal disease ; chronic kidney disease ; health-related quality of life

Volume: 5

Pages: 487-499

Some results of a larger research aimed to evaluate de quality of life of families with 0 to 2 years old children with genetic malformation are presented. Quality of life was analyzed related to the child’s age, other sociodemographic variables, the parent’s information about the malformation and the clinical characteristics of the diagnostic. A descriptive-correlational design was used, with group comparison by age and type of malformation. The ECLAMC instrument was used for the medical evaluation and a semi-structured interview was designed for the principal caregiver to evaluate the quality of life domains described by Rodríguez (1995), and the quality of the information about the malformation and its treatment. The final sample was constituted by 36 families, with 24 girls and 14 boys with diverse genetic malformations. Principal results showed no significant differences in the quality of life by the child’s gender or age, neither by the parents’ age. A significant relation was found between the type of malformation and the quality of life in the functional status domain, and between the mother’s occupation and the quality of information about the malformation and its treatment. Psychological functioning was the most affected domain. Results are discussed in the light of relevant information and the politics in health attention services.

Issn:16579267

Keywords: Quality of life ; genetic malformation ; functional status ; psychological functioning ; social functioning

Volume: 5

Pages: 457-473

The purpose of this study was to verify the validity and reliability of Perceived Work Quality of Life Scale by Physical Education (PE) Teachers from Elementary to High- School (QVT-PEF). The scale has 34 questions divided in eigth dimensions. For the content validation, 19 specialists were consulted, and they indicated 70% of agreement with the analytical matrix. For reliability, the procedure of test-retest was applied with an interval of one week in a sample of 58 PE teachers, from municipal, state, and private schools of Florianópolis, SC. The reliability was evaluated by the Spearman’s correlation (rs), and internal consistency of the instrument was analyzed by Cronbach’s alpha, using the statistical program SPSS for Windows, 11.0 version (p RESUMO Objetivo deste estudo foi verificar a validade e a fidedignidade da “Escala de Avaliação da Qualidade de Vida no Trabalho Percebida por Professores de Educação Física do Ensino Fundamental e Médio” (QVT-PEF). A escala possui 34 questões distribuídas em oito dimensões. Na validação de conteúdo foram consultados 19 especialistas na área, os quais apresentaram nível de consenso superior a 70%, confirmando a matriz analítica que sustenta o instrumento. Quanto à avaliação da fidedignidade, o procedimento de teste-reteste foi aplicado com intervalo de uma semana, numa amostra com 58 professores de Educação Física, atuantes nas redes de ensino municipal, estadual e particular de Florianópolis, SC. Enquanto que a reprodutibilidade foi avaliada por meio do coeficiente de correlação de Spearman (rs), a consistência interna pelo coeficiente alfa de Cronbach, ambos com a utilização do programa estatístico SPSS for windows versão 11.0 (p<0,05). A reprodutibilidade detodas as dimensões mostrou alta correlação (rs entre 0,82-0,69), assim como 94,12% das questões apresentaram alta correlação (rs entre 0,85-0,60) e duas questões (5,88%) apresentaram correlação moderada. Quanto à consistência interna do instrumento, o valor geral encontrado do alfa de Cronbach foi elevado (0,9482), sendo que 97,06% das questões e 75% das dimensões obtiveram, no mínimo, nível razoável de consistência interna. Assim, conclui-se que o QVT-PEF apresenta níveis aceitáveis de reprodutibilidade, consistência interna e de validade de conteúdo, justificando a sua utilização em pesquisas que analisem a qualidade de vida de professores de Educação Física Escolar.

Issn:14158426

Keywords: Educação Física ; Qualidade de vida ; Profissão docente ; Trabalho ; Physical Education ; Quality of Life ; School teachers ; Labor

Volume: 8

Pages: 45-52

The aim of this study was to assess the subjective quality of life and to identify the psychosocial predictors of SQOL among patients with a variety of gastroenterological diseases. A convenience sample of 78 gastroenterological patients completed questionnaires measuring subjective quality of life, perceived social support, coping style, depression and anxiety. The mean level of SQOL was 73%. Participants with a low level of subjective well-being (< 50%) were more depressive (p < .001), had higher levels of both trait and state anxiety (p < .01), felt they received less social support from both friends and family (p < .01), and used avoidance as a coping strategy more often than patients with normal level ofSQOL (p < .01). In three of the four domains measured by the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire – psychological, social and environmental - the subgroup of dissatisfied patients obtained significantly lower results, while in the domain of physical health the two subgroups did not differ. Multiple regression analysis showed the trait-anxiety to be the most important predictor for a subjective QOL. A group of patients remained within the normal range of subjective well-being expected by the homeostatic model, showing that gastroenterological disease alone does not result in homeostatic failure. Psychological variables, especially the anxiety level and perceived satisfaction with the environment, play a major role in maintaining a homeostatic balance. This finding demonstrates the importance and necessity of psychological support in treatment of physical illnesses.

Issn:13320742

Keywords: subjective quality of life ; gastroenterological patients ; anxiety ; depression ; coping ; social support

Volume: 16

Pages: 259-274

Issn:17949998

Keywords:

Volume: 3

Pages: 37-54

The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate theextent of quality of life related to health in 282patients with slight arterial hypertension from thecity of Medellin, Colombia. The questionnaire Qualityof Life Hypertension (CHAL) was used. The resultsdemonstrated an important deterioration in thequality of life of these patients at level of the statemind and mainly in his somatic manifestations.

Issn:17949998

Keywords: Quality of life ; health ; slight arterial

Volume: 3

Pages: 203-211

A study aimed to describe and evaluate the quality of life in patients with liver transplant in the last 15 years, inColombia, is presented. Twenty five patients voluntarily participated through an informed consent. Quality of life wasevaluated with a semi structured interview, with some items in a scale format, previously validated by a group of threeexperts. Results were analyzed according to the theoretical categories and statistical analysis. Results showed that theliver transplant improved the quality of life the patients were having in their final stage of the liver disease, both in thepsychological and physical aspects; the quality of life was correlated to independency and to an increase in the workingcapacity. A better quality of life was evident, with a better general well-being, a going back to job, and a psychosocialrecovery.

Issn:16579267

Keywords: quality of life ; organ transplant ; liver disease ; psychological well-being

Volume: 6

Pages: 383-397