Healing of Venous Leg Ulcers Influenced by Individual Aspects: Cluster Analysis in a Specialist Wound Management Clinic.

INTRODUCTION/OBJECTIVE: Venous Leg Ulcers (VLU) present a challenging healing process. Attaining healing is a primary treatment objective, commonly pursued in Primary Health Care (PHC) or Specialist Wound Management Clinics. Our objective was to examine the association and interplay between sociodemographic, health, clinical, and care factors with the outcomes of VLU treatment in patients undergoing care at a Specialist Wound Management Clinic. METHODS: Longitudinal, observational study took place in a center for the treatment of chronic injuries linked to PHC. The sociodemographic aspects, health status and habits, clinical and care aspects of patients with VLU were scrutinized over a 1-year period. RESULTS: The sample comprised 103 participants, with some still under treatment (Treatment Group-TG/ n = 60) and others having achieved VLU healing (Healing Group-HG/ n = 43). An association between sociodemographic, health, clinical, and care factors and the healing outcome (HG) was identified. A moderate correlation was observed between factors predisposing to healing in the sociodemographic group and health habits. Notably, among sociodemographic factors, the older age group and improvements in health, particularly the reduced use of alcohol/smoking, appeared to exert the most significant influence on healing. Additionally, specialized service monitoring and the application of compression therapy were contributory factors. CONCLUSIONS: These findings substantiate the hypothesis that sociodemographic, health, clinical, and care-related aspects are intertwined with VLU healing. Protective factors associated with healing interacted synergistically, fostering a positive outcome over one year of treatment.

Determinants of socioeconomic factors for quality of life and depressive symptoms in community-dwelling older people: A cross-sectional study in Brazil and Portugal.

Our aim was to analyze the association between socioeconomic status and quality of life (QoL) among older people with depressive symptoms treated through the Primary Health Care (PHC) system in Brazil and Portugal. This was a comparative cross-sectional study with a nonprobability sample of older people in the PHC in Brazil and Portugal conducted between 2017 and 2018. To evaluate the variables of interest, the socioeconomic data questionnaire, the Geriatric Depression Scale and the Medical Outcomes Short-Form Health Survey were used. Descriptive and multivariate analyses were performed to test the study hypothesis. The sample consisted of n = 150 participants (Brazil n = 100 and Portugal n = 50). There was a predominance of woman (76.0%, p = 0.224) and individuals between 65 and 80 years (88.0%, p = 0.594). The multivariate association analysis showed that in the presence of depressive symptoms, the QoL mental health domain was most associated with the socioeconomic variables. Among the prominent variables, woman group (p = 0.027), age group 65-80 years (p = 0.042), marital status "without a partner" (p = 0.029), education up to 5 years (p = 0.011) and earning up to 1 minimum wage (p = 0.037) exhibited higher scores among brazilian participants. The portuguese participants showed an association between the general health status domain and woman group (p = 0.042) and education up to 5 years (p = 0.045). The physical functioning domain was associated with income of up to 1 minimum wage (p = 0.037). In these domains, the portuguese participants exhibited higher scores than the brazilian participants. We verified the association between socioeconomic profile and QoL in the presence of depressive symptoms, which occurred mainly among woman, participants with low levels of education and low income, with QoL aspects related to mental, physical and social health and self-perceived health. The group from Brazil had higher QoL scores than the group from Portugal.

Correlation between Generic and Disease-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaires in Patients with Venous Ulcerations: A Cross-Sectional Study Carried out in a Primary Health Care Setting in Brazil.

Venous Ulcers (VU) are a serious health problem that affect the Quality of Life (QoL). They are evaluated by many different scales in the literature. We aimed to analyze the correlation between the Medical Outcomes Short-Form Health QoL (SF-36) and Charing Cross Venous Ulcer Questionnaire (CCVUQ) scales. This is a cross-sectional study conducted in a Brazilian center specializing in chronic VU of the Primary Health Care (PHC) provided to patients with active VU. The general QoL instrument SF-36 and the CCVUQ, specific for people with VU, were used. Spearman's Rho Test determined the correlation between the variables analyzed. Our sample had a total of 150 patients. We found a direct correlation between the domestic activities division (CCVUQ) aspect and the SF-36 Physical role functioning (strong), and Physical functioning (moderate) domains. The Social interaction division (CCVUQ) aspect presented moderate correlation with the domains of the SF-36 Physical role functioning and Physical functioning. The Vitality domain (SF-36) showed moderate correlation with the aspects of CCVUQ Cosmesis division and Emotional status division. The greatest forces of direct correlation were observed between the physical, functional and vitality aspects of SF-36 with those represented by domestic activities and social interaction in the CCVUQ.