Predictors of Quality of Life in Women
In an analysis of 30 African American and Caucasian women, the authors describe changes in the various quality-of-life domains (health, family, socioeconomic, psychosocial, and spiritual) and predictors of quality of life for a group of women more than 1 year post-acute myocardial infarction (MI). Data reported represent three recovery points post-MI (before hospital discharge, 6-weeks post-MI, and 12-months post-MI). Matched pair t tests indicated significant changes in all five domains of quality of life/cardiac, and through a multiple regression analysis 45% of the variance in quality of life could be explained by mood states and social support. The finding that social support and mood states were the only predictors of quality of life for this cohort of women at 1-year post-MI suggests that health care professionals should mobilize and reinforce social support networks and make mental health referrals for the most vulnerable women. Further study should be conducted on the unique needs of African American women, since insufficient numbers were available at 1 year to determine their unique patterns of recovery.
The common misperception that female gender confers protection against coronary heart disease has been challenged in the health care community with the growing recognition that women are equally vulnerable to myocardial infarction (MI). Although depression and social support are known to be important factors influencing the development of heart disease, relatively little research attention has been given to their influence on quality of life following MI. Most reports of quality of life indicate that a combination of objective components (such as physical comfort, occupational adjustment, activity level, hobbies, and leisure activities) and subjective components (such as social and family adjustment, satisfactory sex life, and patient-reported levels of quality of life) yield a more valid measurement than singly measuring objective or subjective components. The argument has been made that quality of life encompasses not only health-related issues but also the interaction of multiple causal dimensions. The purpose of this review is to describe changes in the various quality-of-life domains and to examine the predictors of quality of life for a group of women 1 year after their MIs. The first research question is: Are there changes in the five domains of quality of life (health, family, socioeconomic, psychosocial, and spiritual) after MI for a group of US women? The second research question is: What are the predictors of quality of life for this same group of women?
In an analysis of 30 African American and Caucasian women, the authors describe changes in the various quality-of-life domains (health, family, socioeconomic, psychosocial, and spiritual) and predictors of quality of life for a group of women more than 1 year post-acute myocardial infarction (MI). Data reported represent three recovery points post-MI (before hospital discharge, 6-weeks post-MI, and 12-months post-MI). Matched pair t tests indicated significant changes in all five domains of quality of life/cardiac, and through a multiple regression analysis 45% of the variance in quality of life could be explained by mood states and social support. The finding that social support and mood states were the only predictors of quality of life for this cohort of women at 1-year post-MI suggests that health care professionals should mobilize and reinforce social support networks and make mental health referrals for the most vulnerable women. Further study should be conducted on the unique needs of African American women, since insufficient numbers were available at 1 year to determine their unique patterns of recovery.
The common misperception that female gender confers protection against coronary heart disease has been challenged in the health care community with the growing recognition that women are equally vulnerable to myocardial infarction (MI). Although depression and social support are known to be important factors influencing the development of heart disease, relatively little research attention has been given to their influence on quality of life following MI. Most reports of quality of life indicate that a combination of objective components (such as physical comfort, occupational adjustment, activity level, hobbies, and leisure activities) and subjective components (such as social and family adjustment, satisfactory sex life, and patient-reported levels of quality of life) yield a more valid measurement than singly measuring objective or subjective components. The argument has been made that quality of life encompasses not only health-related issues but also the interaction of multiple causal dimensions. The purpose of this review is to describe changes in the various quality-of-life domains and to examine the predictors of quality of life for a group of women 1 year after their MIs. The first research question is: Are there changes in the five domains of quality of life (health, family, socioeconomic, psychosocial, and spiritual) after MI for a group of US women? The second research question is: What are the predictors of quality of life for this same group of women?
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