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Objectives The aim of the study was assessment of the quality of life of patients infected with HIV. A short version of the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire, developed by the World Health Organization, was used, which allows simultaneous evaluation of the quality of life in somatic, social, environmental and psychological spheres, and an author-constructed questionnaire. Material and methods The study group included 105 patients (x males, y females) infected with HIV. The quality of life was assessed using the short version of the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire supplemented with an author-constructed questionnaire, which consisted of 21 closed questions. Results The WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire and authorconstructed questionnaire are reliable tools for the assessment of the quality of life in adults. The results obtained show the good quality of life of patients infected with HIV. Acceptance of own illness and permanent employment are the basic factors affecting the quality of life of HIV infected patients. Conclusions 1. The perceived state of the quality of life strongly depends on many factors, such as physical and family conditions and the attitude towards the patient. 2. Positive attitude and acceptance of one’s own illness has a great impact on further treatment and quality of life. 3. Support and assistance from the loved ones increases the sense of security of infected people and improves their quality of life. 4. The problem of discrimination and stigmatization still affects patients infected with HIV, resulting from insufficient knowledge in Polish society.

Purpose This study (a) assessed quality of life (QoL) in a patient sample with severe mental illness in an integrated psychiatric care (IC) programme in selected regions in Germany, (b) compared QoL among diagnostic groups and (c) identified socio-demographic, psychiatric anamnestic and clinical characteristics associated with QoL. Methods This cross-sectional study included severely mentally ill outpatients with substantial impairments in social functioning. Separate dimensions of QoL were assessed with the World Health Organisation’s generic 26-item quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF) instrument. Descriptive analyses and analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were conducted for the overall sample as well as for diagnostic group. Results A total of 953 patients fully completed the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. QoL in this sample was lower than in the general population (mean 34.1; 95% confidence interval (CI) 32.8 to 35.5), with the lowest QoL in unipolar depression patients (mean 30.5; 95% CI 28.9 to 32.2) and the highest in dementia patients (mean 53.0; 95% CI 47.5 to 58.5). Main psychiatric diagnosis, living situation (alone, partner/relatives, assisted), number of disease episodes, source of income, age and clinical global impression (CGI) scores were identified as potential predictors of QoL, but explained only a small part of the variation. Conclusion Aspects of health care that increase QoL despite the presence of a mental disorder are essential for severely mentally ill patients, as complete freedom from the disorder cannot be expected. QoL as a patient-centred outcome should be used as only one component among the recovery measures evaluating treatment outcomes in mental health care.

Background Human instinctively desire to have offspring. Infertility can cause painful emotional experiences throughout the life mainly known as quality of life impairment. This study aimed to investigate the impact of infertility on a woman’s quality of life. Methods A number of 180 infertile and 540 fertile women participated in this matched case-control study. The cases were selected through a combination of multistage stratified and cluster sampling methods. For each infertile woman three fertile women were randomly selected. The data gathering instrument consisted of demographic variables and the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. Data collection was conducted through interview with participants. The multivariate marginal model and SPSS software 21 were used for data analyses with a significance level of 0.05. Results The results of the multivariate modeling show infertility can potentially affect various aspects of women’s quality of life such as physical health (p

Physical activity increases human health potential and has an impact on achieving a higher quality of life in society. The aim of our research was to determine the relationship between a physically active lifestyle and the quality of life of female students in the context of demographic and social factors (major, age, marital status, professional activity). The research was conducted among a group of 285 women studying physical culture and social sciences in Poznań and Szczecin (Poland). Average age: 22.7 ± 4.90. The standardized World Health Organization Quality of Life—BREF (WHQOL-BREF) questionnaire was used to assess the quality of life of female students, and the original survey technique was used to study the lifestyle of people undertaking physical activity in the context of socio-demographic factors. Nonparametric statistics were applied in the analyses of the results. The effect size was calculated for each test: E2R for the Kruskal–Wallis H test, Glass rank biserial correlation (rg) for the Mann–Whitney U test, and Cramér′s V for the χ2 test. The value of p ≤0.05 was assumed to be a significant difference. In the study, it was shown that a higher overall quality of life and health satisfaction, as well as better results in the physical, psychological, and environmental domains, were achieved by female students who assessed their lifestyle as physically active in comparison to those physically inactive. Higher scores of overall quality of life and satisfaction with health were found among female students of physical education and people participating in physical recreation, who also achieved better results in the environmental domain. Female students aged 23–25 had a higher quality of life in the physical, psychological, and social domains. Having a partner or spouse had a positive effect on the quality of life of female students defined by the social domain. A higher overall quality of life and satisfaction with health were characteristic of people who were employed. In the search of factors positively influencing the quality of life of society, it seems necessary to promote a physically active lifestyle among students. The observed differences in the quality of life and health satisfaction of female students of selected majors require targeted programs and interventions that improve the quality of their lives at various stages of their studies. Such activities increase the health potential of the individual and society, not only in the biological, but also psychosocial dimension.

Radical unilateral mastectomy is an acknowledged source of traumatic experience for women, adversely affecting their behavioral and emotional paradigm. The present study aimed to assess the quality of life in physically active and inactive postmastectomy women. Population sample involved 100 women, aged 50 to 60 years, having undergone radical unilateral mastectomy, allocated into 2 groups, upon assumption of undertaking physical activity. The abbreviated version of WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire was a research tool of choice. The data were analyzed with the aid of χ2 test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Mann-Whitney U test. Statistically significant dependence was established between physical activity actually pursued and self-assessment of overall quality of life ( P = .014) and overall the self-rated perception of health ( P < .001). In the group of physically inactive women, physical health was a variable dependent upon individual level of education ( P = .031). The highest scores in this domain were noted in the women boasting secondary education, whereas the lowest in the ones with vocational education. Social domain was the highest rated aspect of quality of life in both the physically active and inactive postmastectomy women, while the physical health domain was rated the lowest. Both in the case of physically active and inactive postmastectomy women, the quality of life in the respective domains, as listed in the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire, was found independent of the living environment.

Bartosz Uchmanowicz,1 Anna Chudiak,1 Grzegorz Mazur2 1Department of Clinical Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland; 2Department and Clinic of Internal and Occupational Diseases and Hypertension, Faculty of Medicine, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland Background: Hypertension is one of the most important risk factors for cardiovascular disease, which contributes to lowering the quality of life (QOL), especially in elderly patients. Recent data show that almost half of the hypertensive patients and one-third of patients with comorbidities were nonadherent to medication. Objective: To assess the association of QOL with the level of adherence and to examine the association with selected variables on the level of adherence. Design: A prospective, cross-sectional, and analytical study. Methods: This study involved 186 hypertensive elderly patients (mean age: 71.05±7.47 years). An analysis of medical records based on sociodemographic and clinical data was conducted. The World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale Brief version (WHOQOL-BREF) was used to assess the level of QOL, and the Hill-Bone Compliance to High Blood Pressure Therapy Scale (HBQ) was used to examine the level of adherence to therapeutic recommendations in hypertensive patients. Results: The average assessment of the QOL measured by the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire was 3.36±0.84 points, which indicates a QOL at a level between average and good. The patients’ average score on the HBQ questionnaire was 20.39±4.31 points. In the “reduced sodium intake” subscale, patients had an average of 4.75±1.33 points. In the “appointment keeping” subscale, the patients scored an average of 3.45±1.07 points. In the “medication taking” subscale, the patients had an average of 12.19±3.46 points. It was shown that the total score of the HBQ questionnaire was negatively correlated with all domains of QOL assessed with the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire (P

Background: The quality of life of a society is conditioned by many factors, and depends, among other things, on preferred behavior patterns. Combat sports (CS) and martial arts (MA) have a special educational potential in the area of shaping positive behavior patterns and transmitting moral values which could help reduce aggression in society. The aim of the work was to determine the relationship between health behaviors and the quality of life of people who practice combat sports and martial arts (CS and MA) recreationally, in addition to practicing other sports, and as competitors at the master level. Methods: The research embraced 543 people who practice combat sports and martial arts. Three groups were selected: recreational (n = 362), people who reconciled practicing various sports (n = 115), and competitors who practiced combat sports or martial arts at the master level (n = 66). The average age of the respondents was 24.49 &plusmn, 7.82. The standardized WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire and another questionnaire for a lifestyle survey were applied. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare several independent samples. In the case of determining statistical significance of differences the Mann-Whitney test was employed, and for the qualitative data analyses the trait frequency and the independence chi-square test were used. The effect size was calculated for each test ( E R 2 , rg, Cram&eacute, r&rsquo, s V). The value of p &le, 0.05 was assumed to be statistically significant. Results: The highest quality of life (in the physical, psychological and environmental domains) was characteristic of the competitors, who practiced only combat sports and martial arts. They also displayed the most health-oriented behaviors. The surprising results were: lower quality of life in the assessment of nondrinkers and nonsmokers, and higher among people who were overweight. Conclusions: We have found positive correlations between practicing CS and MA, health behaviours and higher scores in quality of life self-evaluation, particularly where practitioners are exclusively focused on CS and MA and practice these at a competitive level. Our findings thus support the growing evidence that competitive level CS and MA are an effective means of improving people&rsquo, s quality of life. Future research needs to clarify whether CS and MA can also be recommended to recreational and non-competitive practitioners as a means to improve their subjective quality of life.

Health-related quality of life (QoL) is an acknowledged index of treatment effectiveness. There are several methods of its evaluation which are predisposed to different risk of bias.To investigate the agreement between objective and subjective tools of QoL assessment in patients who underwent endoscopic atraumatic coronary artery bypass (EACAB) grafting.This prospective observational study covered 705 consecutive patients who underwent EACAB between April 1998 and December 2010. Quality of life was assessed in a follow-up of 2132 ±1313 days among 482 subjects using the WHOQoL-BREF questionnaire as an objective tool and the Likert scale as a more subjective method.There was good agreement between a 5-step Likert scale and a 5-step BREF Q1 ('overall quality of life') and Q2 ('general health') with a concordance correlation coefficient of CCC = 0.64 (95% CI: 0.58-0.69) and CCC = 0.49 (95% CI: 0.43-0.55), respectively. There was also a statistically significant correlation between answers reported using the Likert scale and all domains of BREF: physical health (The Likert scale is useful in QoL assessment in patients after minimally invasive coronary surgery. This simple and easy-to-use screening method may be used interchangeably with a more reliable but also more complex questionnaire tool.Ocena jakości życia (QoL) jest uznanym miernikiem efektywności terapii. Istnieją różnorodne metody analizy jakości życia uwarunkowanej aktualnym stanem zdrowia (HRQoL), które różnią się swoistością i czułością.Porównanie obiektywnego i subiektywnego narzędzia oceny HRQoL u pacjentów, którzy przeszli endoskopowe atraumatyczne pomostowanie tętnic wieńcowych (EACAB).Prospektywne badanie obserwacyjne obejmowało 705 kolejnych pacjentów, którzy przeszli EACAB od kwietnia 1998 do grudnia 2010 r. Jakość życia oceniono u 482 osób za pomocą kwestionariusza WHOQoL-BREF jako obiektywnego narzędzia i skali Likerta jako metody subiektywnej. Średni czas obserwacji wynosił 2132 ±1313 dni.Stwierdzono zadowalającą zgodność między 5-stopniową skalą Likerta a 5-stopniowymi wskazaniami kwestionariusza BREF: Q1 (ogólna jakość życia) i Q2 (ogólny stan zdrowia): współczynniki zgodności wynosiły odpowiednio: CCC = 0,64 (95% CI: 0,58-0,69) i CCC = 0,49 (95% CI: 0,43-0,55). Wykazano znamienną statystycznie korelację między odpowiedziami zgłaszanymi za pomocą skali Likerta a wszystkimi dziedzinami BREF: zdrowie fizyczne (Skala Likerta jest użyteczna w ocenie QoL u pacjentów po zabiegach małoinwazyjnego pomostowania tętnic wieńcowych. Ta prosta i łatwa w obsłudze metoda badań przesiewowych może być stosowana zamiennie z bardziej wiarygodnym, jednak złożonym narzędziem, jakim jest kwestionariusz WHOQoL-BREF.

Objectives: The aim of this paper is to identify the factors that determine the environmental domain of quality of life in economically active adults living in the industrial agglomeration in Poland. Materials and Methods: During the crosssectional epidemiological study conducted among the economically active population aged 45–60, we used a short version of the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. Respondents were recruited randomly from selected factories located in the Silesian Agglomeration. The statistical analysis used descriptive and analytical methods available in the Statistica 9.0 software. Results: The results confi rmed the statistically signifi cant association between marital status, type of occupational activity, declared health status, and the environmental domain of quality of life in economically active inhabitants of the Silesian Agglomeration. The best qualities of life in the environmental domain were those of married people, white collars, and persons who declared their health status to be the best. Conclusions: The major determinants of environmental quality of life in economically active population living in the industrial agglomeration include non-occupational factors, such as marital status and current health status, while a signifi cantly better quality of life was associated with being a white-collar worker and not living in the vicinity of the road with heavy traffi c. The results may be useful for future planned activities intended to improve the health and the quality of working life.

Objective : To compare preoperative quality of life (QoL) scores using World Health Organization WHOQOL-BREF quality of life assessment with postoperative QoL scores following successful repair of genitourinary fistula. Patients and methods : The WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire was used as a tool to evaluate the quality of life before and after surgical repair. All patients, who underwent genitourinary fistula repair between January 2011 and December 2013 were included. Women with complaints of continuous leakage of urine per vagina following obstetric or gynaecological procedures were included in this study. Women with rectovaginal fistula, malignant fistula or radiation induced fistula were excluded from this study. Patients with comorbidities affecting QoL and those who did not give consent to participate were excluded. Patients whose questionnaire was incomplete were also excluded. Results : Of the 106 women admitted for treatment of genitourinary fistula during the time period; 101 were included. The preoperative score of physical, psychological, social and environmental health domains were 15.04 ± 2.56, 16.42 ± 4.4, 51.75 ± 11.91 and 34.81 ± 6.89 respectively. The postoperative scores in physical, psychological, social and environmental health domains were 83.61 ± 5.09, 75.79 ± 6.33, 76.17 ± 8.53 and 33.88 ± 6.13 respectively. On comparison between the preoperative and postoperative QoL scores; there was significant improvement in physical, psychological and social health domains in the postoperative period (p < 0.01) but the environmental health domain scores remained static. Conclusion : There is marked improvement in the overall quality of life, especially the physical, psychological and social health domains of WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire after successful surgical repair of genitourinary fistula. The environmental health domain remained unchanged even after successful repair. KEYWORDS : Genitourinary fistula; WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire; Quality of life