Quality of Life in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain and Differences by Sex: A Longitudinal Study.

BACKGROUND: The experience of chronic low back pain has a significant impact on the quality of life of affected people, resulting in difficulties in performing basic activities of daily living. AIM: To study the perceived quality of life of people affected by chronic low back pain and the associated factors by sex. METHODS: A prospective, longitudinal and observational design was used. RESULTS: A total of 129 people (58.1% women) with chronic low back pain were studied. The mean pain intensity scores were of moderate severity (6.42 points), with a modest improvement at follow-up (6.17 points). Epidural nerve blocks were the most effective therapeutic intervention in reducing the intensity of pain. Participants described a negative perception of their health with regard to quality of life, with low scores for the two constructs both at baseline (health index, 0.444; perception of health, 38.76 points) and at follow-up (health index, 0.447; perception of health, 40.43 points). Participants had severe functional limitation scores (50.79 points). The results were significantly better among men. There was an inverse relationship between the average pain intensity (ß = -0.304; p < 0.001), functional limitation (ß = -0.466; p < 0.001) and mental health (ß = -0.565; p < 0.001) and quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: The chronification of low back pain complicates people's biopsychosocial adaptation to life. There is a longitudinal inverse association between pain and functional limitation and health-related quality of life.

Positive mental health and sense of coherence among emergency medical service professionals.

Background: Positive mental health (PMH) is a construct used to define and evaluate health from a positive perspective. Healthcare professionals in the emergency ambulance service are more likely to experience mental health disorders than the overall population. The demographic and occupational variables and Sense of Coherence (SOC) can act as predictors of PMH and can serve as protective elements against stress and demanding situations in the work environment. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate PMH and its relationship with demographic and occupational variables and determine if SOC is a predictive variable for PMH in health professionals working in the emergency ambulance service. Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional, and correlational study was conducted with a sample of 406 healthcare professionals from the emergency ambulance service in eight health regions of Catalonia, Spain. The following variables were analyzed: Age, biological sex, household members, dependents family members, professional category, type of contract, job satisfaction and sense of collaboration with other institutions. The following assessment instruments were used: Positive Mental Health Questionnaire and Sense of Coherence scale. Results: High scores were obtained in Positive Mental Health (PMH). Study participants who reported feeling completely satisfied in their work also showed a significant relationship with all PMH factors: greater satisfaction with their personal life, in their helpful prosocial attitude toward others, in their capability to deal effectively with stress and navigate conflict scenarios, in their ability to solve problems and self-realization, greater empathy and ability to understand the feelings of others, greater ability to establish interpersonal relationships. Comprehensibility, as a dimension of SOC, was identified as a predictor for some factors of PMH: a greater personal satisfaction, self-control, autonomy, interpersonal skills and total PMHQ. More than 43% of positive mental health in health professionals is explained by higher Meaningfulness and Comprehensibility values of the SOC, the absence of dependent family members and having a non-graduate background. Conclusion: Healthcare workers in the emergency ambulance service had high PMH. Meaningfulness (ME) and Comprehensibility (C), dimensions of SOC, were identified as model predictors of greater PMH, showing higher scores in most of PMH factors. To enhance SOC as a mental health promotion measure, resilience programs should be implemented to help professionals develop skills to face and overcome adverse situations. Educating in stress management thought networks are key elements to strengthen SOC. Managers in emergency medical services play a key role in transforming healthcare work environments to promote positive outcomes in the mental health of their healthcare workers.

The Influence of Emotional Intelligence on Quality of Life in Patients Undergoing Chronic Hemodialysis Focused on Age and Gender.

Emotional intelligence is a health predictor as it has an effect on quality of life, given that it affects a person's capacity to use and regulate emotions and consequently has an influence on their physical and mental condition. The aim of this study is to analyze emotional intelligence, quality of life, and associated correlation factors in patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis, differentiating age and gender differences. A multicenter study of one hundred and thirty-eight hemodialysis patients was conducted using a quantitative, observational, and cross-sectional design. A battery of questionnaires, including Trait Meta-Mood Scale (TMMS-24), Kidney Disease Quality of Life-Short Form (KDQOL-SF), and an ad hoc sociodemographic questionnaire, were administered. The Chi-squared test, the Student's t-test, and one-way ANOVA were used to compare categorical, independent, and continuous variables, respectively. A linear regression model was used to compare variables associated with quality of life. Gender differences existed when assessing the three dimensions of emotional intelligence: ranked by order, the highest scores in males were in clarity, repair, and attention. However, in females, the highest scores were in repair, clarity, and attention. Males had higher scores than females in emotional roles (p = 0.045). Younger participants had better scores in all physical functions (p = 0.001) and vitality (p = 0.038). Participants who had a higher level of education presented better physical function (p = 0.027) and higher scores in emotional wellbeing (p = 0.036). Finally, in females, emotional attention (p = 0.046) and repair (p = 0.000) were strongly associated with general health perception. The assessment of emotional intelligence considering gender differences in patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis can be an indicator of quality of life, including for use in health interventions.

Mortality and Quality of Life with Chronic Kidney Disease: A Five-Year Cohort Study with a Sample Initially Receiving Peritoneal Dialysis.

The quality of life, morbidity and mortality of people receiving renal replacement therapy is affected both by the renal disease itself and its treatment. The therapy that best improves renal function and quality of life is transplantation. OBJECTIVES: To study the quality of life, morbidity and mortality of people receiving renal replacement therapy over a five-year period. DESIGN: A longitudinal multicentre study of a cohort of people with chronic kidney disease. METHODS: Patients from the Girona health area receiving peritoneal dialysis were studied, gathering data on sociodemographic and clinical variables through an ad hoc questionnaire, quality of life using the SF-36 questionnaire, and social support with the MOS scale. RESULTS: Mortality was 47.2%. Physical functioning was the variable that worsened most in comparison with the first measurement (p = 0.035). Those receiving peritoneal dialysis (p = 0.068) and transplant recipients (p = 0.083) had a better general health perception. The social functioning of transplant recipients improved (p = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: People with chronic kidney disease had a high level of mortality. The dimension of physical functioning worsens over the years. Haemodialysis is the therapy that most negatively effects general health perception. Kidney transplantation has a positive effect on the dimensions of energy/vitality, social functioning and general health perception.

Pain, Anxiety, and Depression in Patients Undergoing Chronic Hemodialysis Treatment: A Multicentre Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Pain is a considerable health concern that interferes with hemodialysis treatment outcomes and can lead to a patient developing anxiety and depression. AIMS: To examine the perception of pain in patients on chronic hemodialysis therapy, and to analyze the relationship between their pain, anxiety, depression, and sociodemographic data. METHOD: The research was conducted using a quantitative, observational, cross-sectional design. The study recruited 138 patients from multicentered hemodialysis units. A battery of questionnaires, including the visual analog scale (VaS) as pain intensity scale, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and an ad hoc sociodemographic data questionnaire, were given to patients to answer during their hemodialysis sessions. A linear regression analysis was conducted to obtain the results. RESULTS: The mean of pain to all participants was generally low, as per AVS scale (0-10) it was 3.6 (stanard deviation [SD] = 3.07). Women manifested lower levels of pain than men (p = .015). One in five participants in both sexes suffered from clinical anxiety and one in six participants in both sexes suffered from clinical depression. Women scored higher on both the anxiety (4.8 versus 4.2) and depression scale (6.8 versus 6.5). Those participants who manifested clinical anxiety were younger compared with those who did not (aged 56.8 versus 66.8 years). Finally, older patients (aged 68.5 years) manifested higher levels of depression. CONCLUSIONS: The level of pain perceived by patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis therapy was generally low, especially in women. The study also demonstrated a positive association between levels of pain and anxiety and depression.

Quality of Life and Social Support of People on Peritoneal Dialysis: Mixed Methods Research.

Although some study has been made into quality of life in patients with peritoneal dialysis, little is known about how this relates to social support. The aim of this paper was to study health-related quality of life, perceived social support and the experiences of people receiving peritoneal dialysis. A cross-sectional study was conducted using quantitative and qualitative methodologies, between June 2015 and March 2017. Fifty-five patients receiving peritoneal dialysis were studied. The most affected quality of life dimensions were the effects of the disease, the burden of the disease, occupational status, sleep and satisfaction. The physical component of the quality of life questionnaire was negatively associated with the number of hospital admissions over the previous year (p = 0.027) and positively associated with social support (p = 0.002). With regard to the mental component, age (p = 0.010) and social support (p = 0.041) were associated with a better quality of life. Peritoneal dialysis, while not a panacea, is experienced as being less aggressive than hemodialysis, allowing greater autonomy and improved perceived health. Greater symptomology corresponded to worse quality of life and to perceiving the disease as a burden. Patients had to adapt to the new situation despite their expectations. Social support was observed to be a key factor in perceived quality of life.