Izvorni znanstveni članak
Some Characteristics of the Quality of Life of People with and without Malignant Disease
Renata Pinjatela
; Edukacijsko-rehabilitacijski fakultet Sveučilišta u Zagrebu
Sažetak
Quality of life has become an important research subject in different disciplines. The objective of this research is to examine the metric characteristics of the questionnaire EORTC QLQ-C30 (The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer’s Quality of Life Questionnaire) and to determine differences in the quality of life of people with and without malignant diseases. The assessment of the quality of life included two groups of interviewers: in the first group were adults with breast cancer, colon cancer and head/neck cancer (n=54), and in the second group there were adults without malignant diseases (n=266). Metric characteristics of the questionnaire were checked with the Rtt7 Programme, and for determination of differences between groups, robust discrimination analysis was used.
Compared with the people without malignant diseases, patients have assessed their condition as better in terms of physical, business and emotional functioning, with some symptoms of fatigue and pain. Furthermore, patients have assesses their social functioning as worse, and stressed more symptoms of nausea and more financial difficulties as a result of disease. Patients have assessed overall quality of life and health condition as worse than the interviewers without diseases. Women with malignant diseases and women without diseases have assessed their business, physical and emotional functioning as worse, more symptoms in all life quality variables and more financial difficulties compared with men in the same group. However, women without diseases have assessed their overall life quality as better than the men in the same group. Women with breast cancer have assessed their quality of life in almost all variables as worse compared with the interviewers with other types of malignant diseases, while men with head/neck cancer have assessed their overall quality of life and health condition significantly better than women with breast cancer and patients with colon cancer.
Gathered result show that patients assess their life quality as satisfying, however, in some areas, together with medical assistance, they need continuous psychosocial support, particularly women with breast cancer.
Ključne riječi
helath related quality of life; EORTC QLQ-C30; breast cancer; colon cancer; head/neck cancer
Hrčak ID:
30718
URI
Datum izdavanja:
30.12.2008.
Posjeta: 6.063 *