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Background: Quality of life (QoL) of people with dementia (PwD) is an important indicator of quality of care. Studying the impact of acute hospital settings on PwD's QoL requires assessment instruments that consider environmental factors. Until now, dementia-specific QoL instruments have not yet demonstrated their feasibility in acute hospitals because their use takes up too much time or their validity depends on observation periods that usually exceed the average length of hospital stays. Therefore, validated instruments to study QoL-outcomes of patients with dementia in hospitals are needed., Methods: Data stem from a study that analyzed the impact of a special care concept on the QoL of patients with dementia in acute hospitals. Total sample size consisted of N = 526 patients. Study nurses were trained in using an assessment questionnaire and conducted the data collection from June 2016 to July 2017. QoL was assessed with the QUALIDEM. This instrument consists of nine subscales that can be applied to people with mild to severe dementia (N = 344), while six of the nine subscales are applicable for people with very severe dementia (N = 182). Scalability and internal consistency were tested with Mokken scale analysis., Results: For people with mild to severe dementia, seven out of nine subscales were scalable (0.31 ≤ H ≤ 0.75). Five of these seven subscales were also internally consistent (ρ ≥ 0.69), while two had insufficient reliability scores (ρ = 0.53 and 0.52). The remaining two (positive self-image, feeling at home) subscales had rather low scalability (H = 0.17/0.16) and reliability scores (ρ = 0.35/0.36). For people with very severe dementia, all six subscales were scalable (0.34 ≤ H ≤ 0.71). Five out of six showed acceptable internal consistency (ρ = 0.65-0.91). Only the item social relations had insufficient reliability (ρ = 0.55)., Conclusions: In comparison with a previous evaluation of the QUALIDEM in a long-term care setting, the application in a hospital setting leads to very similar, acceptable results for people with mild to severe dementia. For people with very severe dementia, the QUALIDEM seems to fit even better in a hospital context. Results suggest either a revision of unsatisfactory items or a general reduction to six items for the QUALIDEM, for all PwD. In general, the QUALIDEM can be recommended as instrument to assess the QoL for PwD in the context of hospital research. Additionally, an investigation of the inter-rater reliability is necessary because the qualification of the nurses and the length of stay of the patients in the hospital differ from the previous investigations of the inter-rater reliability of QUALIDEM in the nursing home., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: There is a lack of studies investigating the impact of postponed dental visits due to financial constraints on quality of life., Aims: The aim of this study was to identify whether these factors are associated longitudinally., Methods: Data were derived from waves 5 and 6 of the "Survey of Health Ageing and Retirement in Europe" (SHARE). The analysis focused on Germany (n = 7506). The widely used CASP-12 was used to quantify the quality of life. Postponed dental visits for financial reasons in the preceding 12 months (no, yes) were used as the main explanatory variable. Socioeconomic and health-related covariates were included in regression analysis., Results: Gender stratified regression analysis showed that quality of life decreased with the presence of postponed dental visits due to financial reasons in men. Furthermore, quality of life decreased with the worsening of self-rated health in both men and women. The outcome measure was not associated with age, marital status, income, and chronic diseases in both sexes., Discussion: Study findings suggest that postponing dental visits due to financial constraints contributes to a decreased quality of life among older men., Conclusion: Efforts to avoid these circumstances might help to maintain the quality of life in older men.

Objective: About 800 of the 13,000 members of the German Tinnitus Association (DTL) are active in self-help groups (SHGs). This study analyzes whether SHG-participation is associated with tinnitus-related Health Literacy (HLit) and Quality of Life (QoL)., Methods: In a cross-sectional study 1108 tinnitus patients in- and outside of SHGs administered a questionnaire containing tinnitus-related burden, QoL, tinnitus knowledge, self-management, assessment of SHGs, and socio-demographics. Participants were divided into four subgroups: (1) active SHG-members (19.6%), (2) former SHG-members (10.6%), (3) DTL-members, but not in SHG (57.9%), (4) neither DTL- nor SHG-members (11.9%)., Results: Participant were 59.7% male and 61.3 years on average. SHG-attendees are on average 5 years older than non-attendees, and have a lower education, while there are no differences in gender-distribution. Regression analyses show significant associations between SHG-participation and tinnitus knowledge, coping and self-esteem. QoL, however, is not associated with SHG-participation. SHG-members report considerable further benefits from SHG-membership., Conclusions: Despite the limitations through the cross-sectional design, it seems more likely that tinnitus-related HLit and other benefits are a result of SHG-participation than vice versa., Practice Implications: Health care providers should inform their patients about SHGs and encourage them to consider a SHG as a possible option for their self-management., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To compare oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in children and adolescents with and without migration background, and to assess whether potential differences in OHRQoL can be sufficiently explained by oral health characteristics., Materials Und Methods: A consecutive sample of 112 children and adolescents was recruited in a German university-based orthodontic clinic, and a convenience sample of 313 children and adolescents of German public schools was enrolled in the study (total N = 425, age range 7-17 years). However, 29 participants were excluded due to insufficient information regarding migration background. Accordingly, the non-migrant group consisted of 262 participants (61.6%). For children with migration background, two groups were classified: (i) one parent born in a foreign country (N = 41, 9.6%, single-sided migration background), and (ii) both parents and/or child born in a foreign country ( N= 93, 21.9%, double-sided migration background). OHRQoL was assessed using the German 19-item version of the Child Oral Health Impact Profile (COHIP-G19). Additionally, physical oral health of 269 children with classified migration background was determined in a dental examination., Results: Overall, OHRQoL was significantly lower in the group with double-sided migration background indicated by lower COHIP-G19 summary scores (mean: 58.6 points) than in the group with single-sided migration background (mean: 63.3 points) or the non-migrant group (mean: 63.2 points). Likewise, the summary scores of the subscale "oral health well-being" and the subscale "social/emotional, school, and self-image" were also lower in the double-sided migrant group than in the other two groups. Linear regression analysis showed an association between double-sided migration background and impaired OHRQoL, even after statistically controlling for demographic, socioeconomic, and oral health characteristics., Conclusion: Children and adolescents with double-sided migration background have poorer OHRQoL than comparably aged migrants with single-sided migration background or non-migrations. Between-group differences in OHRQoL could not be sufficiently explained by effects of socioeconomic status or physical oral health characteristics. Thus, other methodological, cultural, or immigration-related factors might also play an important role for the observed effects.

Objectives: The analyses address the following research questions: (1) Do Turkish diabetics in Germany and Turkey differ in terms of quality of life? (2) If yes, can these differences (in part) be explained by social factors (age, gender, education, household size), functional limitations and availability of support? (3) Are social factors, functional limitations and availability of support differently associated with quality of life among Turkish diabetics in Germany and Turkey?, Design: For this comparative cross-sectional study, 111 patients with type 2 diabetes were personally interviewed in Istanbul (Turkey) and 294 Turkish patients in Hamburg (Germany). For quality of life measurement we have used the Turkish version of the WHOQOL-Bref-26. Sociodemographics included age, sex, education and household-size. Health related functional limitations were assessed on the basis of an index of (instrumental) activities of daily living including the availability of help. Statistical analyses were conducted on group comparisons with Chi-square- and T-tests as well as linear regressions., Results: There are no significant differences between Turkish diabetics in Germany and Turkey in the physical and the psychological dimensions of the WHOQOL-Bref. However, in the WHOQOL-domains 'social QoL' and 'environmental QoL' Turkish diabetics living in Hamburg have a significantly better quality of life than their counterparts in Istanbul. These differences cannot be explained by individual sociodemographic factors, functional limitations and availability of support. Furthermore, we found much stronger positive associations between education and quality of life in Istanbul than in Hamburg., Conclusion: Beyond strong similarities between the two samples in sociodemographics, physical and mental health the social and environmental quality of life was significantly assessed better by the Turkish diabetics living in Hamburg. This is most likely an effect of public investment in social security, infrastructure and health care which is also influencing the decision as to where to spend life in retirement.

Purpose: Parents of disabled and/or chronically ill children are more vulnerable regarding their health compared to parents of healthy children. This study examines how far the burden of care is associated with health-related quality of life (QoL) in parents, across different illnesses and disabilities. Moreover, it is unclear whether and to which extent familial resources can explain the association between parents’ care burden and health.Method: Data stem from a survey with the German Children’s Network, a self-help umbrella organization of parents and families of chronically ill and disabled children. Data collection was conducted nationwide with a standardized online questionnaire, which included children’s diagnoses and severity, burden of care, family and socioeconomic status, health-related QoL (SF-12) and family impact (Impact on Family Scale, IFS). 1567 parents participated.Results: A higher burden of care is associated with higher risks for poor health-related QoL. Especially, social impact and financial burden, which are both associated with care, can help to explain these associations.Conclusions: Future interventions should focus not only on the affected child but also on the whole family system and its social integration, as this seems likely to relief parents from burden of care. Therefore, a sustainable cooperation of health care institutions and professionals with self-help groups and parental initiatives is recommended.Implications for RehabilitationParents of disabled and chronically ill children are a vulnerable group regarding their health-related quality of life.A higher burden of care is associated with less social contacts, higher financial burden and higher help-needs in the household, which significantly contribute to higher health risks.Rehabilitation should take these constraints into account and put a stronger focus on the family of disabled and chronically ill children to support their inclusion.A sustainable and formally anchored collaboration with self-help and patient groups is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]