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Background: The current study represents a subset analysis of quality-of-life (QOL) outcomes among patients treated on a phase 2 trial of de-escalated chemoradiation for human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal cancer., Methods: Eligibility included newly diagnosed, (American Joint Committee on Cancer, 7th edition) stage III or IV oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma, p16 positivity, age ≥ 18 years, and a Zubrod performance status of 0 to 1. Treatment was induction paclitaxel at a dose of 175 mg/m 2 and carboplatin at an area under the curve of 6 for 2 cycles followed by response-adapted, dose-reduced radiation of 54 Gy or 60 Gy with weekly concurrent paclitaxel at a dose of 30 mg/m 2 . The University of Washington Quality of Life (UW-QOL) and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Head and Neck questionnaires were used to assess patient-reported QOL as a secondary endpoint., Results: A total of 45 patients were registered, 40 of whom completed QOL surveys and were evaluable. Nadirs for overall UW-QOL and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Head and Neck scores were reached at 4 weeks after treatment but returned to baseline at 3 months. Nearly all functional indices returned to baseline levels by 6 to 9 months. The mean overall UW-QOL score was 71.6 at baseline compared with 70.8, 73.0, 83.3, and 81.1, respectively, at 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after therapy. The percentage of patients rating their overall QOL as "very good" or "outstanding" at 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years using the UW-QOL was 50%, 77%, and 84%, respectively., Conclusions: This de-escalation regimen achieved QOL outcomes that were favorable compared with historical controls. These results serve as powerful evidence that ongoing de-escalation efforts lead to tangible gains in function and QOL. Cancer 2018;124:521-9. © 2017 American Cancer Society., (© 2017 American Cancer Society.)

Objective: To retrospectively study the effects of minimally invasive single-stage multilevel surgery (MISS MLS) for treating patients with obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSA) on quality of life (QOL)., Methods: All OSA patients with multilevel obstruction who failed or refused continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment and then underwent Pillar implants and temperature-controlled radiofrequency of the base of tongue (RFBOT) were enrolled. The subjective symptoms and QOL (SF-36 Taiwan Standard Version 1.0) parameters were collected preoperatively and a minimum of 3 months postoperatively. Postoperative morbidity and complications were also recorded., Results: Thirty-seven patients (30 men, 7 women; mean age = 46.8 years; mean BMI = 23.9 kg/m 2 ) were enrolled. The mean Epworth Sleepiness Scale changed from 12 ± 4.3 to 10.6 ± 4.3 ( P = .004, Wilcoxon signed-rank test). The mean snoring visual analog scale reduced from 9.5 ± 1.3 to 4.0 ± 2.0 ( P < .0001). The mean score of SF-36 increased from 65.5 ± 19.6 to 75.2 ± 16.7 ( P = .001). The SF-36 subscales showed statistically significant changes, especially in bodily pain, role-emotional, and general health., Conclusion: The study demonstrated that MISS MLS was effective on QOL in selected patients for treating OSA patients who are unresponsive to conservative OSA therapy.

Background: By September 2016, approximately 653,865 people in China were living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and 492,725 people were receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART). PLWHA frequently experience discrimination in all domains of their personal and social lives. The World Health Organization includes discrimination in its list of social determinants of health factors that have been linked to poor physical and psychological health. This paper identifies the family support enjoyed and discrimination faced by people infected with HIV and examines the effect they have on patients' quality of life (QOL) as they undergo ART in China., Methods: We conducted this observational cohort study of ART-treated patients with HIV in Guangxi Province using a questionnaire survey at baseline, 6, 12, and 24 months, starting in 2010. Descriptive analysis was used to describe the demographic characteristics (e.g., age, sex, educational level, marital status, and employment status) of participants. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) were employed to examine the relationships between family support, discrimination, and QOL., Results: In the study, 90.4% (n = 281) of patients received family support at baseline, here defined as the initiation of ART, 91.8% (n = 244) received family support 6 months into ART, 95.5% (n = 220) at 12 months, and 94.3% (n = 230) at 24 months. The proportion of patients who did not feel discriminated against by their families was 87.2% (n = 274) at baseline, 90.4% (n = 229) 6 months into ART, 90.0% (n = 210) at 12 months, and 94.5% (n = 219) at 24 months. Patients' overall QOL scores were positively associated with having received family support (OR = 2.74, P = 0.040, 95% CI: 1.68-4.47), not feeling discriminated against by their families (OR = 1.3, P = 0.041, 95% CI: 1.07-1.59) or discrimination from patients themselves, including never experiencing fear of abandonment by family (OR = 2.05, P = 0.025, 95% CI: 1.49-2.82)., Conclusions: Family support along with no or minimal discrimination was found to contribute to QOL among people infected with HIV. Their overall QOL tended to improve significantly as ART continued. This suggests that strategies meant to improve and strengthen family support, care for PLWHA, and promote HIV screening among high-risk populations should be explored by both policy makers and researchers.

Objective: Otitis media (OM), as a common infectious disease, is a major cause of hearing impairment among the general population. OM remains a major public health threat in the Pacific islands, but the risks of OM have not been thoroughly explored in this region. The objective of this study is to investigate the prevalence, clinical features, and quality-of-life impacts of OM in Fiji., Methods: In the medical service trip entitled "Healing and Hope - Taiwan Cathay Heart and Hearing Medical Mission to Fiji" (TCHHMMF), we conducted a cross-sectional OM survey study in Suva and Sigatoka areas (Korolevu, Cuvu, and Lomawai) in the summer of 2015. The otitis media - 6 (OM-6) was used to survey the OM-related quality of life., Results: In the 467 pediatric patients (aged 0-18 years old) screened, 13 (2.78%) have acute otitis media (AOM), 37 (7.92%) have otitis media with effusion (OME), and 19 (4.1%) have chronic otitis media (COM). Age (OR 0.53, 95% CI: 0.36-0.77) is a significant predictor of AOM, whereas male gender (OR 2.46, 95% CI: 1.13-5.37), smoke exposure (OR 2.81, 95% CI: 1.01-7.82), and concomitant chronic sinusitis (OR 6.05, 95% CI: 2.31-15.88) are significant predictors of OME. The mean OM-6 item scores are highest in caregiver concerns (3.8), physical suffering (3.7), and hearing loss (3.4) domains., Conclusion: OM is an important primary care disease in Fiji that remains under-served. It is critical to educate professionals, parents, and patients to detect and to improve care for OM., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the conceptual structure of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Core Questionnaire 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) by analyzing data collected from patients with major cancers in Taiwan. The conceptual structure underlying QLQ-C30, including higher-order factors, was explored by structural equation modeling (SEM)., Methods: The Taiwan Chinese version of the EORTC QLQ-C30 was used as the measuring instrument. Higher-order models, including mental health/physical health, mental function/physical burden, symptom burden/function, single latent health-related quality of life, formative symptom burden/function, and formative health-related quality of life, were tested., Results: Study subjects included 283 patients with breast, lung, and nasopharyngeal cancers. The original QLQ-C30 multi-factorial structure demonstrated poor composite reliability of the cognitive function subscale. The formative symptom/burden model was favored by model fit indices, further supporting causal-indicator duality, but was compromised by unexpected associations between symptomatic subscales and latent factors. The formative health-related quality of life was proposed with a single second-order latent factor where symptomatic subscales remained formative. Two additional symptom measures from the formal cognitive function subscale with the formative health-related quality-of-life model were proposed as the alterative conceptual structure for the Taiwan Chinese QLQ-C30., Conclusions: Results of the current study represent the complete SEM approach for the EORTC QLQ-C30. The formative health-related quality-of-life model with elimination of cognitive function enhances the conceptual structure of the Taiwan Chinese version with parsimonious fit and interpretability.

Purpose: Stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is a treatment option for patients with localized prostate cancer, with reported clinical and health-related quality-of-life (QOL) outcomes comparable to standard fractionation radiation therapy. The goal of this study was to evaluate correlations between short-term QOL outcomes and dosimetric parameters to guide future prostate SBRT planning., Methods and Materials: From 2010 to 2013, QOL data were prospectively collected from 75 patients enrolled in a prostate SBRT clinical trial. A comparison was made between Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite scores for patients with the top 25th percentile versus the bottom 75th percentile of the following dose-volume histogram parameters: planning target volume V100; bladder V50 and V100; and rectum V50, V80, V90, and V100. A linear mixed-effect model was used to estimate the difference between the 2 strata for each parameter., Results: Median follow-up was 12 months. Patients with planning target volume V100 volumes >120 cm(3) had the worst reduction in urinary QOL. Urinary QOL was also decreased significantly in patients with bladder V100 volumes >5.5 cm(3). Bowel QOL was decreased significantly in patients with rectal V90 and V100 volumes >4.2 and >1.5 cm(3), respectively., Conclusions: Patients with large prostate size or large volumes of rectum and bladder that receive ≥90% of the prescribed radiation dose are more susceptible to short-term QOL decrements after prostate SBRT. These volumes should be minimized to maximize recovery to baseline QOL after prostate SBRT., (Copyright © 2015 American Society for Radiation Oncology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The prevalence of urinary incontinence (UI) among older urban Latinos is high. Insight into etiologies of and contributing factors to the development of this condition is needed. This longitudinal cohort study identified correlates of 1-year incidence of UI in older community-dwelling Latino adults participating in a senior center-based physical activity trial in Los Angeles, California. Three hundred twenty-eight Latinos aged 60 to 93 participating in Caminemos, a randomized trial to increase walking, were studied. Participants completed an in-person survey and physical performance measures at baseline and 1 year. UI was measured using the International Consultation on Incontinence item: "How often do you leak urine?" Potential correlates of 1-year incidence of UI included sociodemographic, behavioral, medical, physical, and psychosocial characteristics. The overall incidence of UI at 1 year was 17.4%. Incident UI was associated with age, baseline activity of daily living impairment, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), mean steps per day, and depressive symptoms. Multivariate logistic regression models revealed that improvement in physical performance score (odds ratio (OR) = 0.69, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.50-0.95) and high baseline physical (OR = 0.60, 95% CI = 0.40-0.89) and mental (OR = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.43-0.91) HRQoL were independently associated with lower rates of 1-year incident UI. An increase in depressive symptoms at 1 year (OR = 4.48, 95% CI = 1.02-19.68) was independently associated with a higher rate of incident UI. One-year UI incidence in this population of older urban Latino adults participating in a walking trial was high but was lower in those who improved their physical performance. Interventions aimed at improving physical performance may help prevent UI in older Latino adults., (© 2014, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2014, The American Geriatrics Society.)

Purpose: To evaluate the early and late health-related quality of life (QOL) outcomes among prostate cancer patients following stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT)., Methods and Materials: Patient self-reported QOL was prospectively measured among 864 patients from phase 2 clinical trials of SBRT for localized prostate cancer. Data from the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC) instrument were obtained at baseline and at regular intervals up to 6 years. SBRT delivered a median dose of 36.25 Gy in 4 or 5 fractions. A short course of androgen deprivation therapy was given to 14% of patients., Results: Median follow-up was 3 years and 194 patients remained evaluable at 5 years. A transient decline in the urinary and bowel domains was observed within the first 3 months after SBRT which returned to baseline status or better within 6 months and remained so beyond 5 years. The same pattern was observed among patients with good versus poor baseline function and was independent of the degree of early toxicities. Sexual QOL decline was predominantly observed within the first 9 months, a pattern not altered by the use of androgen deprivation therapy or patient age., Conclusion: Long-term outcome demonstrates that prostate SBRT is well tolerated and has little lasting impact on health-related QOL. A transient and modest decline in urinary and bowel QOL during the first few months after SBRT quickly recovers to baseline levels. With a large number of patients evaluable up to 5 years following SBRT, it is unlikely that unexpected late adverse effects will manifest themselves., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Using quality-of-life measures and pulse oximetry, this study developed a two-tiered prediction algorithm with an aim to prioritize sleep-disordered breathing patients for polysomnography., Methods: Data from 355 patients were evaluated to obtain their clinical information, Chinese version of Epworth sleepiness scale, and snore outcomes survey scores against respiratory disturbance index (RDI). In the first-tier screening, receiver-operating characteristics were calculated with an initial strategy of choosing optimal prediction sensitivity. The second-tier strategy investigated the association between pulse oximetry data (desaturation index of 3%) against RDI to optimize prediction specificity., Results: The "SOS score of 55 and ESS score of 9" was the optimal combination that yielded the highest sensitivity (0.603) in the first-tier screening. The strategy can includ 94.93% possible patients (probability = 0.6) with positive predictive value of 0.997. The area under the curve (AUC) was 0.88 (p < 0.001). Desaturation index of 3% would optimized specificity (0.966, probability = 0.5) in the second-tier screening to exclude 54% of innocent patients, with negative predictive values of 0.93 and AUC of 0.951 (p < 0.001). The two-tier screening model jointly excluded 4.8% of innocent subjects and prioritized 40% of severe patients for polysomnography., Conclusions: The prediction model is sufficiently accurate and feasible for large-scale population screening.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to investigate the association of quality-of-life status with baseline laboratory findings among Taiwanese adults having symptomatic gallstone disease., Methods: A prospective quality-of-life survey was administered at a tertiary referral medical center among 102 consecutive adults with symptomatic gallstone disease. Patients underwent regular laboratory testing at admission and were evaluated using the 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and the Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI). Correlation and regression models were used to investigate quality-of-life predictors., Results: Compared with the general Taiwanese adult population, patients having symptomatic gallstone disease had significantly poorer performance on all eight SF-36 subscales (P < 0.001). Total GIQLI showed moderate to strong correlation with all eight SF-36 subscale scores (gamma = 0.29 ~ 0.62, P < 0.05). In multivariate analysis, serum levels of direct bilirubin (beta = -32.6, P = 0.001) and alkaline phosphatase (beta = -13.6, P = 0.032) were predictive of worse total GIQLI (adjusted R (2) = 0.183)., Conclusions: Symptomatic gallstone disease may considerably affect patient quality of life in terms of general health status and gastrointestinal-specific measures. Before gallstone surgery, serum levels of direct bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase significantly correlated with quality-of-life measures and can be used to evaluate patient well-being at admission.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in quality-of-life following laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) in adults with cholelithiasis., Methods: Patients were evaluated with the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) and the Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI) preoperatively and 12 months after LC. Outcome predictors were analyzed using correlation and regression statistics., Results: Ninety-nine patients were enrolled (male/female, 32:67, age 49.8 +/- 13.7 years old). At baseline, patients performed inferiorly to general population in all SF-36 general health dimensions (p < 0.0001). Postoperatively, the "role-physical", "role-emotional", and "bodily pain" dimensions of health significantly improved. There were significant improvements in GIQLI "total", "physical well-being", "mental well-being", "gastrointestinal digestion", and "defecation" subscales scores. Serum direct bilirubin level and drainage tube indwelling were significant predictors for quality-of-life improvement following LC., Conclusions: LC can greatly reduce gastrointestinal symptoms to improve quality-of-life for patients with cholelithiasis. Patients with severe baseline conditions may benefit from greater quality-of-life improvement following LC.

Objective/hypothesis: To investigate the quality of life (QoLF) status of Taiwanese adults with unilateral vocal cord paralysis (UVCP)., Study Design: A prospective, QoLF survey in a tertiary referral voice center., Methods: Fifty-five consecutive UVCP patients were evaluated with Medical Outcome Study Short Form-36 (SF-36) Health Survey and the voice outcome survey at entry., Results: UVCP patients have significantly lower scores in all eight SF-36 subscales (P < .05) than do normative Taiwan adult population, particularly in role functioning-physical problems, social functioning, and role functioning-emotional problems. Shimmer parameter is a robust and consistent predictor for bodily pain (beta = -20.8), role functioning-emotional problems (beta = -27.9), and social functioning (beta = -20) general health dimensions. Shimmer is also predictive of UVCP-related total voice outcome survey score (beta = -8.6, P < .05)., Conclusions: UVCP can seriously compromise phonation, swallowing, and social functions; thus significantly impacting a patient's general health status. Voice physiological function is also a QoLF outcome indicator.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of nasal surgery alone on quality of life (QOL) in patients with obstructive sleep apnea and nasal obstruction using generic and disease-specific QOL questionnaires., Design: Prospective, longitudinal cohort study., Patients: Fifty-one consecutive patients with obstructive sleep apnea (50 men and 1 woman; mean age, 39 years; mean [SD] apnea-hypopnea index, 37.4 [28.9] events/h; and mean +/- SD body mass index [calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared], 26.0 [3.5]) with symptoms of nasal obstruction due to a deviated nasal septum., Intervention: Septomeatoplasty., Outcome Measures: Surgical outcomes were measured using the Snore Outcomes Survey, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, and the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) 3 months after surgery. We compared baseline and postoperative scores. Normative SF-36 data obtained from 4591 age- and sex-matched adults were used as references., Results: Nasal obstruction symptoms significantly improved (mean [SD] visual analog scale score, -5.2 [1.4]; P < .001). Assessments also showed significant improvement in the Snore Outcomes Survey (P < .001) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (P < .001) scores and 6 of the 8 SF-36 subscale scores (P < .05). Remarkable improvements were observed in disease-specific Snore Outcomes Survey (by 43.1%), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (by 27.3%), and generic SF-36 role-emotional (by 30.4%) and role-physical (by 20.7%) QOL subscales. The postoperative role-emotional, bodily pain, and social function dimensions of health were indistinguishable from referential population data (P > .05)., Conclusions: Correction of an obstructed nasal airway significantly improves disease-specific and generic QOL in adult patients with obstructive sleep apnea who also have nasal obstruction symptoms. After nasal surgery, patients may experience greater improvement in snoring and daytime sleepiness than in other generic health status. Our findings substantiate the role of nasal surgery in treating patients with obstructive sleep apnea and nasal obstruction.

Background: Symptomatic gallstone is one of the most common diseases in Taiwan. The aim of this study was to develop a Mandarin Chinese outcomes measure for the assessment on quality of life among gallstone patients., Materials and Methods: The Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI) is a valid, disease-specific measure for the evaluation of health status and treatment effectiveness for adults with chronic gastrointestinal condition. The GIQLI was translated into Mandarin Chinese using a parallel model. The Chinese (Taiwan) version of the GIQLI (CGIQLI) was administered to 102 patients with symptomatic gallstone disease in a prospective manner; the CGIQLI then was validated according to established criteria for reliability, validity, and longitudinal sensitivity., Results: The CGIQLI demonstrates good test-retest reliability (r = 0.92, P = 0.001) and internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.92). The CGIQLI significantly correlates with the Mandarin Chinese (Taiwan) version of the generic 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). The standardized response mean for the CGIQLI total score is 0.96, indicating excellent sensitivity to clinical change in the study group., Conclusion: This validation study demonstrated that the performance characteristics of the CGIQLI are equivalent to the English version, the GIQLI. This study demonstrates that the CGIQLI is a valid tool to evaluate adults with chronic gastrointestinal problems among the Chinese-speaking population.

Aim: To investigate health-related quality of life data of disease-free gastric adenocarcinoma survivors, with special emphasis on the roles of clinical stages and reconstructive surgical procedures., Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study in 51 disease-free gastric adenocarcinoma patients. The patients had been followed for at least 6 (median 17, range from 6 months to 2 years) months after initial radical surgery. The Taiwan Chinese version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Cancer 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) and the supplementary gastric cancer module QLQ-STO22 were used as outcome measures., Results: Patients with earlier-/advanced-stage diseases (American Joint Committee on Cancer stages I and II vs. III and IV) had a similar quality of life in terms of global health status and functional and symptomatic well-being. Subtotal gastrectomy outweighed total gastrectomy with better role function and less nausea/vomiting and appetite loss. Multivariate regression analyses also proved that proximal gastric preservation was predictive of better role function, less nausea/vomiting, and less appetite loss., Conclusions: Gastric adenocarcinoma survivors may enjoy a similar life quality, regardless of their original disease stages. Functional preservation may have marginal advantages to improve patients' quality of life by reducing symptomatic nausea, vomiting, and appetite loss postoperatively., (Copyright (c) 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Objective: To investigate the quality-of-life status of Taiwanese adult patients with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB)., Study Design and Setting: A prospective, quality-of-life survey in a tertiary referral sleep center on 94 consecutive adult SDB patients. Patients were evaluated with polysomnogram, Medical Outcome Study SF-36 Health Survey, Snore Outcome Survey (SOS), and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS)., Results: SDB patients have significantly lower scores in all 8 SF-36 subscales (P < 0.05) than do normative Taiwan adult population. Apnea patients have lower SOS (34.5 +/- 7.5 vs 40.1 +/- 10.3, P = 0.005) and higher ESS scores than do simple snorers (8.8 +/- 5.1 vs 11.7 +/- 5.2, P = 0.03). Patients with a higher degree of sleepiness show worse performance in all dimensions of their general health status (P values 0.0005 to 0.01). Deep sleep (stage 3 + 4) is predictive of SF-36 role: physical (beta = 1.63, P = 0.04), bodily pain (beta = 1.22, P = 0.01), vitality (beta = 1.05, P = 0.01), subscales scores (adjusted R(2) 0.005 to 0.1)., Conclusion: SDB has considerable impact on a patient's global health status., Significance: Daytime sleepiness, rather than apnea, is a major quality-of-life determinant., Ebm Rating: B-2b.

Objective: To evaluate the subjective and objective outcomes of extended uvulopalatal flap (EUPF) surgery in patients with obstructive sleep apnea., Design: Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), Snore Outcomes Survey (SOS), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and polysomnography were performed preoperatively and then 6 months postoperatively., Setting: Tertiary care, sleep disorders referral center., Patients: Fifty-five consecutive patients (52 men and 3 women; mean age, 45 years) with obstructive sleep apnea., Intervention: EUPF surgery., Main Outcome Measures: Overnight polysomnography variables included respiratory distress index (RDI), snore index, minimum oxygen saturation, sleep stages 1 and 2, sleep stages 3 and 4, rapid eye movement, and sleep efficiency. Questionnaire variables included SF-36, SOS, and ESS scores. Success of the operation was defined as a more than 50% reduction of the RDI from the initial value and a postoperative RDI of less than 20., Results: The overall success rate of the EUPF surgery was 82%; the RDI, snore index, and minimum oxygen saturation improved significantly after surgery (P<.001). Sleep architecture in overnight polysomnography remained unchanged (P=.48 and P=.74). Patients demonstrated significant improvement in both their SOS and ESS scores (P<.001) and significant increases in 7 of 8 SF-36 subscales (P<.05 for all). However, there was poor correlation between the improvement in quality of life and the reduction in sleep-related respiratory events., Conclusions: Extended uvulopalatal flap surgery can greatly reduce sleep-related adverse events and proves to be an effective therapy to enhance the quality of life of patients with obstructive sleep apnea. This study also suggests that subjective and objective outcomes are equally important when reporting the results of EUPF surgery.

Background and Purpose: Chronic rhino-sinusitis (CRS) is a disease in prevalence. This study evaluates the impact of this disorder to Taiwanese patients' general and sinus-related health status among Taiwanese patients with CRS., Methods: A total of 201 consecutive CRS patients (male:female: 107:94, mean age: 40.1 +/- 14.6 years) seeking otolaryngological care at a tertiary referral medical center were recruited. Quality of life was measured by a Taiwan Standard Version of the Medical Outcome Study 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) and a Chinese version Chronic Sinusitis Survey (CCSS). Patients were administered with the SF-36 and CCSS preoperatively., Results: CRS has a significant impact on patients in seven of the eight domains of SF-36: role-physical (88.9 +/- 24.7), bodily pain (70.3 +/- 22.6), general health (56.1 +/- 11.6), social functioning (79.3 +/- 21.6), vitality (56.4 +/- 19.1), role-emotional (57.7 +/- 42.1), and mental health (48.4 +/- 17.2) subscores of CRS patients are all in significant decrement (p < 0.05) as compared with the data derived from Taiwanese general population. Physical functioning is the only domain without impact. Significant decrements (p < 0.05) are also observed in symptom subscale (43.3 +/- 27.8), medication subscale (80.3 +/- 26.4), and total survey score (63 +/- 20.3) of the CCSS as compared to the healthy subjects. The severity of CRS is significantly predictive (p < 0.05, R2 = 0.34) of CCSS., Conclusions: CRS has considerable impacts on a patient's sinus-related quality of life, as well as on their general health status.

The aim of this study was to use a parallel model to translate the Snore Outcomes Survey (SOS) into Mandarin Chinese language by comparing performing characteristics and statistical properties of the original and Chinese versions SOS. The Chinese version SOS (CSOS) was validated in a prospective, non-randomized manner. A total of 359 patients with sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) aged 18 years and older diagnosed as having SDB participated in the study at entry. Reliability, validity, and longitudinal sensitivity data for CSOS were obtained. CSOS demonstrated good test-retest reliability (Intra-class correlation coefficient = 0.751). The Cronbach's alpha coefficient was 0.86. The item-total correlation coefficients varied from 0.30 to 0.99. The CSOS correlated well with polysomnogram (PSG) parameters including respiratory distress index (RDI), lowest arterial O2 saturation (LAST). CSOS also yielded significant correlations with vitality subscale of Chinese Taiwan version SF-36 (r = 0.4, p = 0.0011). The standard response mean (SRM) for CSOS was 1.33. The validation demonstrated only minor effects of language; the statistical properties of the CSOS were equivalent to the English version. The CSOS is a valid tool to evaluate adults with SDB among Chinese-speaking population.

Objective: To develop and validate a self-reported outcomes measure for patients with sleep-disordered breathing-the Snore Outcomes Survey., Design: Item areas of the SOS were developed by an expert panel. Consecutive patients were enrolled into the study in a prospective manner. Patients received the SOS, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey, and standard overnight polysomnography at baseline and after 4 months of continuous positive airway pressure therapy., Setting: A tertiary care, academic otolaryngology and sleep disorders referral center., Patients: One hundred fifty-six adult patients presenting with a chief complaint of snoring or sleep-disordered breathing to the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston., Main Outcome Measures: Test-retest reliability, intrasurvey reliability, internal consistency, validity, and standardized response means of the SOS., Results: Overall, reliability of the SOS was excellent (test-retest reliability r = 0.86; P<.001; Cronbach alpha coefficient, 0.85). The SOS index significantly correlated with the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (r = - 0.42; P<.001) and the global Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score (r = - 0.38; P<.001), as well as with the number of recorded arterial oxygen saturation levels below 85% (r = - 0.46; P =.02). The SOS index was sensitive to clinical changes after intervention (standardized response mean, 0.57)., Conclusion: The SOS is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing sleep-related health status for patients with snoring and sleep-disordered breathing and for measuring change in health status following therapy.