A large-scale, innovative study on Health-Related Quality of Life (HR-QoL) in Poland offers valuable insights for healthcare professionals and policymakers. Conducted by researchers from the Medical College at the University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszów and Vincent Pol University in Lublin, the study confirms that HR-QoL is heavily influenced by age and sociodemographic factors such as gender and socioeconomic status.
The findings highlight the need for a holistic approach to patient care that integrates physical and mental well-being to mitigate the effects of various health conditions.
The results of the researchers’ study were published in the scientific article in Nature.
Health-Related Quality of Life
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines quality of life as “a broad concept influenced by physical health, mental state, independence, social relationships, and environmental factors.” Health-Related Quality of Life (HR–QoL) is a more specific measure impacted by diseases, with conditions like cardiovascular diseases and cancer being the most detrimental.
WHO data shows cardiovascular diseases caused nearly 18 million deaths in 2019, while cancer claimed 10 million lives, and 250 million people live with disabilities that reduce their HR-QoL.
The study, involving 7,620 outpatients from 13 medical conditions, assessed HR-QoL using the SF-36 questionnaire. It is the largest cross-sectional study of its kind in Poland.
“The study also allowed for conclusions to be drawn that form the basis for future public health policy initiatives in Poland. It is the largest and only cross-sectional study in Poland that compares 13 disease groups in a single analysis,” explained Marlena Krawczyk-Suszek the first author of the article from the Medical College at the University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszów during an interview with Research in Poland.
Source: flickr.com
Disease Impact and Age
The study revealed that cancer most significantly reduces HR-QoL across all age groups. Cardiovascular diseases, however, have the greatest impact among individuals aged 30–39. HR-QoL peaks for patients aged 40–49 in both conditions but declines in older age groups.
Notably, neurological conditions also drastically lower HR-QoL for those over 60, affecting physical and mental health.
“The observed phenomenon of an ageing population necessitates strengthened public health policies to address disability prevention among older adults, alongside implementing preventive measures to enhance perceived quality of life for those over 65,” explains Marlena Krawczyk-Suszek.
Prevention and Holistic Care
The researchers stress the importance of holistic care that addresses both physical and mental health. Increased access to rehabilitation and psychological support is crucial, particularly for seniors who often face social isolation alongside chronic illnesses.
Such a holistic approach that addresses both physical and mental health is essential for improving HR-QoL. Marlena Krawczyk-Suszek highlights the importance of increasing access to rehabilitation and psychological support for patients, who often face multiple health conditions and social isolation. This is crucial due to the interdependence between mental and physical health. “A patient with a high perceived mental quality of life typically copes better with illness, and recovery occurs more quickly,” she explains.
Psychological interventions should be considered not only for chronic patients but also as preventive measures. Future studies must account for socioeconomic factors and adapt to the evolving conditions of human environments.
“Quality of life is a dynamic area that evolves in response to a person’s circumstances, whether they are epidemiological, economic, social, or otherwise,” says Krawczyk-Suszek.
She underscores that quality-of-life studies, incorporating various influencing factors, should be an integral part of ongoing scientific research, adapting to the continuous changes in human environments and conditions.
Read the article:
- Krawczyk – Suszek, M., Gaweł, A. & Kleinrok, A. Correlation of ageing with Health related-quality of life of patients in 13 groups of disease in Poland. Sci Rep14, 26404 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-78253-1
More:
- More: WHO. The top 10 causes of death [Internet]. [cited 2024 Jan 20]. who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/the-top-10-causes-of-death
- World Health Organization. Basic documents: forty-ninth edition (including amendments adopted up to 31 May 2019). Geneva 2020.
- nstitute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). Findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017(IHME, 2018).
