1
|
Kodati R, Muthu V, Agarwal R, Dhooria S, Aggarwal AN, Prasad KT, Behera D, Sehgal IS. Long-term Survival and Quality of Life among Survivors Discharged from a Respiratory ICU in North India: A Prospective Study. Indian J Crit Care Med 2022; 26:1078-1085. [PMID: 36876197 PMCID: PMC9983681 DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-10071-24321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Advancements in the intensive care unit (ICU) have improved critically ill subjects' short-term outcomes. However, there is a need to understand the long-term outcomes of these subjects. Herein, we study the long-term outcomes and factors associated with poor outcomes in critically ill subjects with medical illnesses. Materials and methods All subjects (≥12 years) discharged after an ICU stay of at least 48 hours were included. We evaluated the subjects at 3 and 6 months after ICU discharge. At each visit, subjects were administered the World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument (WHO-QOL-BREF) questionnaire. The primary outcome was mortality at 6 months after ICU discharge. The key secondary outcome was quality of life (QOL) at 6 months. Results In total, 265 subjects were admitted to the ICU, of whom 53 subjects (20%) died in the ICU, and 54 were excluded. Finally, 158 subjects were included: 10 (6.3%) subjects were lost to follow-up. The mortality at 6 months was 17.7% (28/158). Most subjects [16.5% (26/158)] died within the initial 3 months after ICU discharge. Quality of life scores were low in all the domains of WHO-QOL-BREF. About 12% (n = 14) of subjects could not perform the activity of daily living at 6 months. After adjusting for covariates, ICU-acquired weakness at the time of discharge (OR 15.12; 95% CI, 2.08-109.81, p <0.01) and requirement for home ventilation (OR 22; 95% CI, 3.1-155, p <0.01) were associated with mortality at 6 months. Conclusion Intensive care unit survivors have a high risk of death and a poor QOL during the initial 6 months following discharge. How to cite this article Kodati R, Muthu V, Agarwal R, Dhooria S, Aggarwal AN, Prasad KT, et al. Long-term Survival and Quality of Life among Survivors Discharged from a Respiratory ICU in North India: A Prospective Study. Indian J Crit Care Med 2022;26(10):1078-1085.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rakesh Kodati
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, STAR Hospitals, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Valliappan Muthu
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Ritesh Agarwal
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Sahajal Dhooria
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Ashutosh Nath Aggarwal
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Kuruswamy Thurai Prasad
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Digambar Behera
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Inderpaul Singh Sehgal
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh, India
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Uddin MN, Islam FMA. Psychometric evaluation of an interview-administered version of the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire for use in a cross-sectional study of a rural district in Bangladesh: an application of Rasch analysis. BMC Health Serv Res 2019; 19:216. [PMID: 30953506 PMCID: PMC6451264 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-019-4026-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 03/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study aimed to validate the psychometric properties of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument, Short Form (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire for use in a rural district of Bangladesh. METHODS This cross-sectional study recruited a multi-stage cluster random sample of 2425 participants from the rural district Narail of Bangladesh in May-July 2017. Rasch analysis was carried out using the sampled participants, as well as multiple validation random sub-samples of 300 participants, to validate four domains of the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire: physical, psychological, social and environmental. RESULTS The original WHOQOL-BREF appeared to be a poor fit for both sampled and sub-sampled group of participants in Narail district in all underlying domains: physical, psychological, social and environmental. Two items (sleep and work capacity) from the physical domain, two items (personal belief and negative feelings) from the psychological domain and three items (home environment, health care and transport) from the environment domain were excluded for goodness of fit of the Rasch model. The social domain exhibited reasonably reliable fitness while fulfilling all the assumptions of the Rasch model. A modified version of the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire using five-items for the physical ([Formula: see text] = 36.47, p = 0.013, Person Separation Index (PSI) = 0.773), four-items for the psychological ([Formula: see text] = 28.30, p = 0.029, PSI = 0.708) and five-items for the environmental ([Formula: see text] = 36.97, p = 0.011, PSI = 0.804) domain was applied, which showed adequate internal consistency, reliability, unidimensionality, and similar functioning for different age-sex distributions. CONCLUSIONS The modified WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire translated into Bengali language appeared to be a valid tool for measuring quality of life in a typical rural district in Bangladesh. Despite some limitations of the modified WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire, further application of Rasch analysis using this version or an improved one in other representative rural areas of Bangladesh is recommended to assess the external validity of the outcomes of this study and to determine the efficacy of this tool to measure the quality of life at the national rural level.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed Nazim Uddin
- Department of Statistics, Data Science and Epidemiology; Faculty of Health, Arts and Design; Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, 3122, Australia.
| | - Fakir M Amirul Islam
- Department of Statistics, Data Science and Epidemiology; Faculty of Health, Arts and Design; Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, 3122, Australia.,Organisation for Rural Community Development (ORCD), Dariapur, Narail, Bangladesh
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Inusa BPD, Wale A, Hassan AA, Idhate T, Dogara L, Ijei I, Qin Y, Anie K, Lawson JO, Hsu L. Low-dose hydroxycarbamide therapy may offer similar benefit as maximum tolerated dose for children and young adults with sickle cell disease in low-middle-income settings. F1000Res 2018; 7. [PMID: 30228870 PMCID: PMC6124375 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.14589.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The multiple clinical benefits of hydroxycarbamide in sickle cell disease are supported by a large body of evidence. The maximum tolerated dose (MTD) is the regimen recommended by guidelines from a panel of National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) experts, but other dosage regimens have been used in babies (BABY-HUG) 9 to 18 months old (20 mg/kg per day) and developing countries such as India (10 mg/kg per day); however, there has been no direct comparison of the efficacy, effectiveness, or cost-effectiveness of these different regimens. The purpose of this review was to investigate the current situation with various hydroxycarbamide regimens with particular relevance to low-middle-income countries. In regard to methodology, a literature review was undertaken by using multiple databases in PubMed and Google and the search terms included sickle cell disease, hydroxyurea, hydroxycarbamide, sickle cell anaemia, low-middle-income countries, Sub-Saharan Africa, and India. Although MTD regimens have been widely used in research, especially within North America, clinical trials elsewhere tend to use fixed-dose regimens. In a survey of haematologists across Europe and Africa, 60% (75% response rate) did not use the MTD regimen for hydroxycarbamide treatment of sickle cell disease. The recommendations are (1) for practical purposes to commence using fixed-dose hydroxycarbamide in line with BABY-HUG recommendations and then (2) to consider or propose a trial comparing MTD escalation with various fixed doses and to include as end points health-related quality of life, haemoglobin F levels, adherence, and cost-effectiveness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Baba Psalm Duniya Inusa
- Paediatric Haematology, Evelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Atoyebi Wale
- Department of Haematology, Oxford University Teaching Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Abdul Aziz Hassan
- Department of Haematology & Blood Transfusion, Faculty of Basic Clinical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University & ABU Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Nigeria
| | - Tushar Idhate
- Division of Paediatric Haematology and Oncology, Department of Paediatrics, Mahatma Gandhi Mission Medical College and Hospital, Aurangabad, India
| | - Livingstone Dogara
- Haematology and Blood Transfusion, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, Kaduna State University College of Medicine, Kaduna State University, Kaduna, Nigeria
| | - Ifeoma Ijei
- Haematology and Blood Transfusion, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, Kaduna State University College of Medicine, Kaduna State University, Kaduna, Nigeria
| | - Yewen Qin
- Paediatrics Department, University Hospital, Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Kofi Anie
- Haematology and Sickle Cell Centre, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK.,Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - Lewis Hsu
- Pediatric Sickle Cell Center, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Uy EJB, Bautista DC, Xin X, Cheung YB, Thio ST, Thumboo J. Using best-worst scaling choice experiments to elicit the most important domains of health for health-related quality of life in Singapore. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0189687. [PMID: 29420564 PMCID: PMC5805165 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0189687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2017] [Accepted: 11/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) instruments are sometimes used without explicit understanding of which HRQOL domains are important to a given population. In this study, we sought to elicit an importance hierarchy among 27 HRQOL domains (derived from the general population) via a best-worst scaling survey of the population in Singapore, and to determine whether these domains were consistently valued across gender, age, ethnicity, and presence of chronic illnesses. We conducted a community-based study that sampled participants with quotas for gender, ethnicity, age, presence of chronic illness, and interview language. For the best-worst scaling exercise, we constructed comparison sets according to a balanced incomplete block design resulting in 13 sets of questions, each with nine choice tasks. Each task involved three HRQOL domains from which participants identified the most and least important domain. We performed a standard analysis of best-worst object scaling design (Case 1) using simple summary statistics; 603 residents participated in the survey. The three most important domains of health were: "the ability to take care of self without help from others" (best-worst score (BWS): 636), "healing and resistance to illness" (BWS: 461), and "having good relationships with family, friends, and others" (BWS: 373). The 10 top-ranked domains included physical, mental, and social health. The three least important domains were: "having a satisfying sex life" (BWS: -803), "having normal physical appearance" (BWS: -461), and "interacting with others (talking, shared activities, etc.)" (BWS: -444). Generally, top-ranked domains were consistently valued across gender, age, ethnicity, and presence of chronic illness. We conclude that the 10 top-ranked domains reflect physical, mental, and social dimensions of well-being suggesting that the sampled population's views on health are consistent with the World Health Organization's definition of health, "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity".
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elenore Judy B. Uy
- Department of Rheumatology & Immunology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Dianne Carrol Bautista
- Singapore Clinical Research Institute, Singapore, Singapore
- Centre for Quantitative Medicine, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Xiaohui Xin
- Academic Clinical Programme for Medicine, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yin Bun Cheung
- Centre for Quantitative Medicine, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
- Tampere Center for Child Health Research, University of Tampere and Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
| | - Szu-Tien Thio
- Department of Rheumatology & Immunology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Julian Thumboo
- Department of Rheumatology & Immunology, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
- Office of Clinical, Academic & Faculty Affairs, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Mukherjee D, Safraj S, Tayyab M, Shivashankar R, Patel SA, Narayanan G, Ajay VS, Ali MK, Narayan KV, Tandon N, Prabhakaran D. Park availability and major depression in individuals with chronic conditions: Is there an association in urban India? Health Place 2017; 47:54-62. [PMID: 28753524 DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2017.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2016] [Revised: 05/22/2017] [Accepted: 07/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Green space exposure has been positively correlated with better mental-health indicators in several high income countries, but has not been examined in low- and middle-income countries undergoing rapid urbanization. Building on a study of mental health in adults with a pre-existing chronic condition, we examined the association between park availability and major depression among 1208 adults surveyed in Delhi, India. Major depression was measured using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. The ArcGIS platform was used to quantify park availability indexed as (i) park distance from households, (ii) area of the nearest park; and within one km buffer area around households - the (iii) number and (iv) total area of all parks. Mixed-effects logistic regression models adjusted for socio-demographic characteristics indicated that relative to residents exposed to the largest nearest park areas (tertile 3), the odds [95% confidence interval] of major depression was 3.1 [1.4-7.0] times higher among residents exposed to the smallest nearest park areas (tertile 1) and 2.1 [0.9-4.8] times higher in residents with mid-level exposure (tertile 2). There was no statistically significant association between other park variables tested and major depression. We hypothesized that physical activity in the form of walking, perceived stress levels and satisfaction with the neighborhood environment may have mediating effects on the association between nearest park area and major depression. We found no significant mediation effects for any of our hypothesized variables. In conclusion, our results provide preliminary and novel evidence from India that availability of large parks in the immediate neighborhood positively impacts mental well-being of individuals with pre-existing chronic conditions, at the opportune time when India is embarking on the development of sustainable cities that aim to promote health through smart urban design - one of the key elements of which is the inclusion of urban green spaces.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Debarati Mukherjee
- Centre for Control of Chronic Conditions, Gurgaon, India; Public Health Foundation of India, Gurgaon, India
| | - S Safraj
- Centre for Control of Chronic Conditions, Gurgaon, India; Public Health Foundation of India, Gurgaon, India
| | - Mohammad Tayyab
- Public Health Foundation of India, Gurgaon, India; Jamia Milia Islamia, New Delhi, India
| | - Roopa Shivashankar
- Centre for Control of Chronic Conditions, Gurgaon, India; Centre for Chronic Disease Control, Gurgaon, India; Public Health Foundation of India, Gurgaon, India
| | - Shivani A Patel
- Centre for Control of Chronic Conditions, Gurgaon, India; Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, USA
| | - Gitanjali Narayanan
- Centre for Chronic Disease Control, Gurgaon, India; National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India
| | - Vamadevan S Ajay
- Centre for Control of Chronic Conditions, Gurgaon, India; Centre for Chronic Disease Control, Gurgaon, India; Public Health Foundation of India, Gurgaon, India
| | - Mohammed K Ali
- Centre for Control of Chronic Conditions, Gurgaon, India; Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, USA
| | - Km Venkat Narayan
- Centre for Control of Chronic Conditions, Gurgaon, India; Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, USA
| | - Nikhil Tandon
- Centre for Control of Chronic Conditions, Gurgaon, India; All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Dorairaj Prabhakaran
- Centre for Control of Chronic Conditions, Gurgaon, India; Centre for Chronic Disease Control, Gurgaon, India; Public Health Foundation of India, Gurgaon, India; London School of Hygiene&Tropical Medicine, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Carvalho-Lima RP, Sá-Caputo DC, Moreira-Marconi E, Dionello C, Paineiras-Domingos LL, Sousa-Gonçalves CR, Morel DS, Frederico EH, Neves MF, Oliveira R, Oigman W, Marin PJ, Paiva DN, Bernardo-Filho M. QUALITY OF LIFE OF PATIENTS WITH METABOLIC SYNDROME IS IMPROVED AFTER WHOLE BODY VIBRATION EXERCISES. AFRICAN JOURNAL OF TRADITIONAL, COMPLEMENTARY, AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINES 2017; 14:59-65. [PMID: 28740945 PMCID: PMC5514441 DOI: 10.21010/ajtcam.v14i4s.8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Background: Whole body vibration exercises (WBVE) improve the quality of life (QoL) of different populations. Metabolic syndrome patients (MetS) may be favored by physical activity. Questionnaires are used to assess the QoL. The aim was to evaluate the QoL of patients with MetS that have undergone WBVE with a brief WHOQOL (WHOQOL-BREF). Material and Methods: MetS patients were randomly divided into three groups: (i) control group (CG), (ii) treated with WBVE once per week (WBVE1) and (iii) treated with WBVE twice per week (WBVE2). In the first session, the patient was sat in a chair in front of the platform with the feet on its base in 3 peak to peak displacements (2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 mm) and frequency of 5 Hz was used. From the second to the last session, patients were subjected to the same protocol, however they were standing on the base of the platform and the frequency was increased up to 14 Hz. The patients fulfilled the WHOQOL-BREF before the first and after the last sessions. Cronbach coefficients were determined to each domain of the WHOQOL-BREF and test Wilcoxon (p<0.05) was used. Results: The patients of the WBVE1 group had improvements in the physical, psychological and environment domains while in the WBVE2, the improvements were in the physical and social relationships domain of the WHOQOL-BREF. Conclusion: It was observed that the WBVE in a protocol (one or two times per week) with a progressive and increased frequency improves the QoL of patients with MetS in different domains of the WHOQOL-BREF.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rafaelle Pacheco Carvalho-Lima
- Mestrado Profissional em Saúde, Medicina Laboratorial e Tecnologia Forense, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Danúbia C Sá-Caputo
- Departamento de Biofísica e Biometria, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcântara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de janeiro, RJ, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-graduação em Fisiopatologia Clínica e Experimental, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Eloá Moreira-Marconi
- Departamento de Biofísica e Biometria, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcântara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de janeiro, RJ, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-graduação em Fisiopatologia Clínica e Experimental, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Carla Dionello
- Departamento de Biofísica e Biometria, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcântara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de janeiro, RJ, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Médicas, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Laisa Liane Paineiras-Domingos
- Departamento de Biofísica e Biometria, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcântara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de janeiro, RJ, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Médicas, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Cintia Renata Sousa-Gonçalves
- Departamento de Biofísica e Biometria, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcântara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de janeiro, RJ, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Médicas, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Daniele Soares Morel
- Departamento de Biofísica e Biometria, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcântara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de janeiro, RJ, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Médicas, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Eric Heleno Frederico
- Departamento de Biofísica e Biometria, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcântara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Mario F Neves
- Departamento de Clínica Médica, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Oliveira
- Departamento de Clínica Médica, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Wille Oigman
- Departamento de Clínica Médica, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Pedro J Marin
- Universidad Europea Miguel de Cervantes, Laboratorio de Fisiologia, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Dulciane N Paiva
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Promoção da Saúde, Universidade de Santa Cruz do Sul, Santa Cruz do Sul, RS, Brazil
| | - Mario Bernardo-Filho
- Departamento de Biofísica e Biometria, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcântara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Fenwick EK, Ong PG, Sabanayagam C, Rees G, Xie J, Holloway E, Cheng CY, Wong TY, Lim B, Tan PC, Lamoureux EL. Assessment of the psychometric properties of the Chinese Impact of Vision Impairment questionnaire in a population-based study: findings from the Singapore Chinese Eye Study. Qual Life Res 2015; 25:871-80. [DOI: 10.1007/s11136-015-1141-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
|
8
|
Getanda EM, Papadopoulos C, Evans H. The mental health, quality of life and life satisfaction of internally displaced persons living in Nakuru County, Kenya. BMC Public Health 2015; 15:755. [PMID: 26246147 PMCID: PMC4527222 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-015-2085-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2014] [Accepted: 07/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Internally displaced persons (IDPs) are among the most vulnerable people in the world today. Previous research highlights that conflict-induced forced displacement can cause problems with mental health and wellbeing. This study aimed to contribute to this body of knowledge by investigating the mental health, quality of life, and life satisfaction among IDPs living in Nakuru, Kenya. METHODS A questionnaire that included the General Health Questionnaire-12, Satisfaction with Life Scale, and a modified version of the WHO Quality of Life-BREF tool was used for data collection. The questionnaire also included an open-ended question inviting qualitative responses about their experience as an IDP. The questionnaire was distributed through a three-stage sampling approach across four refugee camps from four regions of the Nakuru County in Kenya. RESULTS One hundred IDPs participated in this study. All participants scored substantially higher than the applied GHQ-12 threshold for caseness (mean GHQ-12 score = 28.7, SD = 3.6). Quality of life and life satisfaction scores were also very poor (M = 10.24, SD = 1.9; M = 6.82, SD = 1.5 respectively). The qualitative results reflected these findings with statements reflecting suicidal thoughts, unhappiness with the government, lack of support, and fear for themselves and their children. Significantly higher GHQ-12 scores were found among older IDPs (rho = .202, sig = .046), widowers compared to married IDPs (mean difference = -2.41, SE = .885, sig = .027), while lower scores were found among IDPs who reported having friends as a source of support (U = 834, sig = .045), while quality of life scores were higher among IDPs who reported receiving governmental support (U = 248, sig = .018). CONCLUSION The findings revealed poor levels of mental health, quality of life and life satisfaction. Older, widowed IDPs and those who did not perceive support from friends or the government were found to be at the highest risk of poor health and wellbeing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elijah Mironga Getanda
- University of Leicester, School of Psychology, The Greenwood Institute of Child Health, Leicester, LE3 0QU, UK.
| | - Chris Papadopoulos
- University of Bedfordshire, Institute for Health Research, Putteridge Bury Campus, Bedfordshire, LU2 8LE, UK.
| | - Hala Evans
- University of Bedfordshire, Institute for Health Research, Putteridge Bury Campus, Bedfordshire, LU2 8LE, UK.
| |
Collapse
|