Nurse health-related quality of life: associations with patient and ward characteristics in Japanese general acute care wards

Health-related quality of life and associated factors among health care providers in the northwest of Ethiopia: a multicenter cross-sectional study, 2023

Background

The diminished quality of life among healthcare providers (HCPs) could impact both their personal well-being and their ability to effectively fulfill healthcare needs and provide necessary facilities to the public. Furthermore, this decline in quality of life may also significantly influence the overall health of HCPs, regardless of their professional training and duties.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to assess the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and associated factors among healthcare providers at comprehensive specialized hospitals in the Northwest Ethiopia.

Method

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 412 healthcare providers at comprehensive specialized hospitals in Northwest Ethiopia from June to July 2023. Study participants were enrolled using simple random sampling. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) was measured using the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale-Bref Version. Data entry and analysis were performed using Epi-data version 4.6.1 and SPSS version 24, respectively. Binary logistic regression was employed to assess the association between quality of life and independent variables. Variables with a p-value <0.05 at a 95% confidence interval were considered statistically significant.

Result

Out of the 422 study participants approached, 412 respondents were included in the final analysis. Poor quality of life was observed in 54.6% of participants. Factors such as working hours per day (AOR = 1.85, 95% CI: 1.12; 3.05), working experience (AOR = 1.95, 95% CI: 1.04; 3.65), and the presence of chronic disease (AOR = 2.11, 95% CI: 1.18; 3.75) were significantly associated with poor quality of life.

Conclusion

This study revealed that more than half of the participants experienced poor quality of life. Specific attention is needed for healthcare providers working for more than 8 h per day, those with less work experience, and those with chronic illnesses in order to improve their quality of life.

Health-Related Quality of Life of Nurses Caring for Hospitalised Children and Their Families: A National Cross-Sectional Study

PURPOSE

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) continues to be understudied among nurses in developing countries. This study aimed to assess (1) the HRQoL of nurses in Malawi caring for hospitalised children and their families, and (2) the nurses' demographic characteristics associated with their HRQoL.

DESIGN AND METHODS

The cross-sectional study was carried out at 23 hospitals in Malawi, and 203 nurses participated, resulting in a 96% response rate. The Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short Form Health Survey was used to collect data. The physical and mental health component scores were evaluated and compared with those in a Cyprus study as the population norm. Both univariate and multivariate analyses were performed, with the significance level set at 0.05.

RESULTS

The nurses' HRQoL was moderately impaired; however, the mean scores of both the physical and the mental health components of the nurses in the Cyprus study were statistically lower than those of the Malawian nurses (t = 36.541, p < 0.001 and t = 19.477, p < 0.001, respectively). Age was independently associated with a better physical health status (β = 29.949, p = 0.038), while female nurses were more likely to report a negative physical health status compared with male nurses (β = -97.481, p = 0.002).

CONCLUSION

The findings suggested that the Malawian nurses were affected by work-related stress, which affected their mental and physical health status. The current findings represent preliminary data, and as such further studies on the association between work-related factors and HRQoL are needed.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Knowledge of HRQoL from the perspective of nurses can help healthcare organisations to develop interventions to limit the negative impacts of work-related stress on nurses caring for children.

Health-Related Quality of Life Among Healthcare Providers in Pakistan

Evaluation of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in healthcare professionals (HP) is a crucial measure for improving their healthcare interventions and pharmaceutical care planning which they provide to their patients for prevention and better treatment of diseases. Studies have shown that poor health status among HPs is a greater risk factor in achieving desired outcomes in their patients. This study assessed the current level of HRQoL among HPs and evaluated various factors influencing their HRQoL. A cross-sectional study was conducted among HPs using the self-administered research tool “WHOQOL-BREF”. Descriptive, comparative, and inferential statistics were performed using SPSS ver. 24. The study results reported a total of 336 participants, with more males than females (n=268, 79.8%, and n=68, 20.2% respectively). The mean scores for the physical, psychological, social relationships and environmental domains were 65.18±13.01, 68.92±15.53, 70.30±15.90, and 65.10±15.17, respectively. This study confirmed that HPs in Pakistan were more satisfied with their HRQoL in social domain and relatively less satisfied in physical and environment domains of HRQoL.

Investigation of the key determinants of Asian nurses' quality of life

The study aimed to compare nurses' quality of life and investigate key determinants among Asian countries with different economic status. A cross-sectional survey was conducted across five Asian countries (Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Bhutan). Quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF), job stress (National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health questionnaire), and demographic data were assessed. Stepwise multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to identify the key determinants of quality of life. Participants were 3,829 nurses (response rate: 82%) with a mean age of 33 ± 10 yr and majority were women (92%). Regarding quality of life, Bhutan yielded the highest scores, followed by Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, and Japan, and these results were statistically significant. The key determinants that were significantly related to quality of life were "stress coping ability," "life satisfaction," "Japan," "social support," "job stress," and "Singapore" (adjusted R²=0.46). In conclusion, nurses' quality of life differs across Asian countries and is not linked to the country's economic development. To maintain a good quality of life for nurses, an international exchange program like international nursing conferences for work environment and staff coping strategies is recommended to broaden institution' minds and share experiences and exchange views to be able to realize their own problems and discover global solutions to them.