A study of latent profile analysis of empathic competence and factors influencing it in nursing interns: a multicenter cross-sectional study.

Background: Empathy, as one of the fundamental principles of nursing professionalism, plays a pivotal role in the formation and advancement of the nursing team. Nursing interns, as a reserve force within the nursing team, are of significant importance in terms of their ability to empathize. This quality is not only directly related to the degree of harmony in the nurse-patient relationship and the enhancement of patient satisfaction, but also plays a pivotal role in the promotion of the quality of nursing services to a new level. Aim: The objective of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of the current state of nursing interns' empathic abilities. To this end, we sought to examine empathic performance under different profile models and to identify the key factors influencing these profile models. Methods: The study utilized 444 nursing interns from 11 tertiary general hospitals in Inner Mongolia as research subjects. The study employed a number of research tools, including demographic characteristics, the Jefferson Scale of Empathy, and the Professional Quality of Life Scale. A latent profile model of nursing interns' empathy ability was analyzed using Mplus 8.3. The test of variability of intergroup variables was performed using the chi-square test. Finally, the influencing factors of each profile model were analyzed by unordered multi-categorical logistic regression analysis. Results: The overall level of empathy among nursing interns was found to be low, with 45% belonging to the humanistic care group, 43% exhibiting low empathy, and 12% demonstrating high empathy. The internship duration, empathy satisfaction, secondary traumatic stress, only child, place of birth, and satisfaction with nursing were identified as factors influencing the latent profiles of empathy in nursing interns (p < 0.05). Conclusion: There is considerable heterogeneity in nursing interns' ability to empathize. Consequently, nursing educators and administrators should direct greater attention to interns with lower empathy and develop targeted intervention strategies based on the influences of the different underlying profiles.

Exploring the influence of appearance evaluation apprehension: How fear of negative evaluation affects quality of life in people with Vestibular Schwannoma.

People diagnosed with Vestibular Schwannoma (VS) can experience several symptoms both pre and post-treatment. These, alongside the diagnosis experience, can significantly impact their daily life. The present research is a continuation of a larger study aiming to explore the impacts of symptomology and body image/fear of negative evaluation (FNAE) on the quality of life (QOL) for people with VS. The research design was exploratory and involved a nationwide survey with a total of 52 participants. FNAE was assessed using a measurement of the same name, and QOL was assessed using the Penn Acoustic Neuroma Quality of Life scale (PANQOL). Comparing management groups revealed a significant difference in FNAE with higher scores for surgery compared to radiation treatment. Regression analyses revealed that FNAE significantly accounted for 10.9% of the variance in QOL. However, no symptom was significantly predictive of FNAE. In conclusion, VS is associated with several symptoms that can persist post-treatment. Body satisfaction contributes to QOL and may differ between management types. However, due to inconclusive findings on the predictability of symptoms on FNAE, other moderator factors could influence these direct relationships. Future studies should evaluate the variables that could mitigate or protect from the impacts of FNAE for this population.

The hemophilia quality of life scale: a systematic review.

Purpose: Quality of life refers to the degree of well-being a person feels. The development of a hemophilia-targeting quality of life scale is important for hemophiliacs and their treating physicians. Methods: Textual analysis. First, a review of studies on quality of life, hemophilia and related quality of life scales was conducted; Subsequently, two rounds of systematic searches of the Springer database were conducted to filter the literature on universal quality of life scale studies and hemophilia-targeting quality of life scale studies by title and abstract, and then textual analysis was performed. Results: The former included 77,456 articles, 26,117 chapters and 7,086 related bibliographies, while the latter initially retrieved 211 entries articles, 118 chapters and 43 related bibliographies. Through filtering, the former contains 22 documents, yielding 1,431 valid word stems, and the latter contains 9 documents, yielding 1,541 valid word stems. Conclusion: While universal quality of life scales mostly fit into the broad framework of WHOQOL- BREF, the development of hemophilia-targeting quality of life scales inclines towards pains that patients suffer and technology advances in pharmaceutical. The current hemophilia QOL scales are mainly based on the HR-QoL, others mainly based on the HR-QoL as the master version. At the same time, the popularization of existing hemophilia quality of life scales in developing countries like China is not high, and the development of hemophilia quality of life scales is insufficient.

Premorbid adjustment as predictor of long-term functionality: Findings from a 10-year follow-up study in the PAFIP-cohort.

The literature indicates that patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders often show deficits in premorbid adjustment. Additionally, these impairments have been correlated with critical disease parameters, evident in both early and advanced stages. The principal objective of this study was to investigate the association between premorbid adjustment and functional outcomes a decade following the initial episode of psychosis. A cluster analysis was performed to group patients according to their premorbid adjustment scores as assessed with the Premorbid Adjustment Scale (PAS). The measurements of The Disability Assessment Scale (DAS), The Global Assessment of Function (GAF) scale, ​​and The Quality of Life Scale (QLS) were used to compare the functionality of the groups at a 10-year follow-up. A total of 231 patients were classified into three groups based on their premorbid adjustment: "good PAS", "deteriorating PAS", and "chronically poor PAS". The three groups differed significantly in their sociodemographic and cognitive baseline characteristics. At the 10-year follow-up, "good PAS" group had better scores than the other groups in the variables of functionality and quality of life. The relationship found between premorbid adjustment and long-term functional results in patients with psychosis can help us predict the evolution of patients and act accordingly.

Living well while providing support: validation of LTCQ-Carer for assessing informal carers' quality of life.

PURPOSE: Despite international policies to support the health and wellbeing of informal (family) caregivers, there is no consensus on how to evaluate the effectiveness of carer support. We aimed to develop and validate a new quality-of-life measure for carers (LTCQ-Carer) and to assess its potential for use within a clinical pathway. METHODS: Psychometric properties of LTCQ-Carer were tested through cognitive interviews (qualitative phase) and a pilot survey (quantitative phase). Participants were family caregivers of people recently diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia, recruited through one of 14 memory clinics in south-east England. They self-completed the new measure and comparative existing measures (EQ-5D, ASCOT-Carer). Ongoing feedback from memory clinic staff on potential use of LTCQ-Carer was collected. RESULTS: Interview participants (n = 10) found all draft items of LTCQ-Carer relevant and prompted inclusion of a new item on 'time to yourself'. Responses from survey participants (n = 107) indicated acceptability (low missing data), high internal reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.95), and a general construct (single factor loadings 0.43-0.86 for all items). Observation of predicted associations with EQ-5D and ASCOT-Carer supported construct validity. Responsiveness requires further testing as evidence was inconclusive. Clinical staff feedback on potential use was positive. CONCLUSION: LTCQ-Carer is a valid new measure for assessing family caregivers' quality of life across broad health and social care domains, expanding the range of high-quality tools for evaluating carer support. When used concurrently with patient assessment, it could highlight carer needs and prompt appropriate family support at the earliest point in the clinical pathway.

Ocular manifestations and quality of life in patients after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

AIM: To explore the relationship between ocular and systemic conditions and the impact of ocular complications on the quality of life (QOL) in patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ALLO-HSCT). METHODS: Forty-four patients with severe hematopoietic disease were enrolled after ALLO-HSCT at our center from July 2018 to October 2020. They completed two questionnaires: the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) and the quality-of-life scale for Chinese patients with visual impairment (SQOL-DV1). Ocular conditions and systemic conditions were also assessed. RESULTS: Eye damage was correlated with total bilirubin (P=0.005), and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) (P=0.021). There was no significant correlation between the overall QOL score and OSDI (P=0.8226) or SQOL-DV1 (P=0.9526) scores. The OSDI and the overall QOL score were not correlated with ocular conditions, including best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure, Schirmer tear test II, sodium fluorescein staining, tear film breakup time, and tear meniscus height. SQOL-DV1 was correlated with BCVA (P=0.0007), sodium fluorescein staining (P=0.007), and tear film breakup time (P=0.0146). CONCLUSION: In some patients, early ocular symptoms are not evident after ALLO-HSCT, while ocular surface complications can be observed after a comprehensive ophthalmological examination. Especially for those with elevated total bilirubin or GGT, regular ophthalmic follow-up visits are essential to diagnose and treat ocular graft versus host disease (oGVHD), especially for patients with elevated total bilirubin or GGT.

Psychometric Assessment of the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form: A Confirmatory Factor Analysis in Malawian Mothers.

BACKGROUND: Exclusive breastfeeding to 6 months postpartum has been related to breastfeeding self-efficacy in diverse populations. Globally, this is measured using the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form (BSES-SF). RESEARCH AIM: To evaluate the psychometric properties of the BSES-SF among women in Malawi; and to examine the relationship between breastfeeding self-efficacy and demographic and health factors. METHODS: The study design was a prospective, cross-sectional survey with a 2 week follow-up reliability check. Postpartum women (N = 180) were recruited at a maternity hospital in Lilongwe, Malawi. In addition to the BSES-SF, the World Health Organization's Quality of Life Scale (QoL) was also administered. Furthermore, confirmatory factor analysis, Cronbach's alpha, and Pearson's correlations were used to examine the construct validity, reliability, test-retest reliability, and convergent validity. RESULTS: The confirmatory factor analysis supported a unidimensional structure of the Malawian version of the 12-item BSES-SF. Cronbach's alpha and the intra-class correlation coefficient were 0.79 and 0.75, respectively. BSES-SF scores had significant correlation with QoL domains (physical QoL: r = 0.31, p < .001; and environmental QoL: r = 0.22, p < .01). Participants' age, parity, and mode of delivery were positively correlated with breastfeeding self-efficacy scores. CONCLUSION: The findings of our study confirmed that the 12-item BSES-SF is a reliable and valid scale for assessing women's breastfeeding self-efficacy in Malawi.

Comparative Study of Quality of Life Assessment Scales for Bronchiectasis and Thinking of Development of Scales Based on the Mode of Combination of Disease and Syndrome / 中医杂志

This paper summarized the current status of the commonly used quality of life assessment scales of bronchiectasis （BE） at home and abroad， and compared the characteristics and differences of each scale from the basic framework， domain， item pool， application status and quality assessment， so as to provide a basis for the development and application of scales based on the mode of combination of disease and syndrome. There are currently 12 assessment tools for evaluating the quality of life in BE with good reliability， validity， and responsiveness， but only quality of life - bronchiectasis （QOL-B） and bronchiectasis health questionnaire （BHQ） are specifically developed for BE patients. The development process of these scales is mostly rooted in western culture and modern medicine， making it difficult to highlight the characteristics and advantages of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM）. The content of the scales lacks the outcome indicators that BE patients are most concerned about， and cannot fully reflect the subjective feelings of patients. The development and assessment of scales lacks clinical research data and methodological support. Under the guidance of TCM syndrome differentiation and treatment， the development of scales based on the mode of combination of disease and syndrome can emerge the characteristics of TCM， reflect the true feelings of patients， and make up for the limitations of the existing scales of BE. Therefore， based on domestic and international scales， factors of China's national conditions and cultural characteristics of TCM should be considered to develop the scale suitable for Chinese people， which requires the construction of a theoretical model for the combination of disease and syndrome， by taking patients as the center and evaluating the performance and quality of the scale.

Pooled analysis of the ophthalmic visual quality of life questionnaire scale / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

With people's attention and in-depth research on visual quality, many distinctive survey scales have been developed. The use of visual quality questionnaires is a subjective way to evaluate patients' visual quality, an expression of patients' self feelings, and an important part of reflecting visual quality. With objective detection methods, the results are more convincing. Many scales have been introduced into China and have been revised through translation, back translation, and cultural adaptation, playing an indispensable role in the visual quality evaluation system. It is particularly important to assess visual quality through psychological and sociological content, and whether the content can be appropriately combined with the subjective feelings of patients. The core of the visual quality of life survey questionnaire lies in its high repeatability. This article summarizes commonly used visual quality questionnaires, which have been verified in terms of validity, reliability, and responsiveness. The validity of the measurement scale, the consistency of the measurement results, the ability to reflect the smallest meaningful clinical changes after effective medical intervention, and the design characteristics, main application directions, and trends of the scale are listed to provide reference for clinical workers to choose appropriate survey scales.

Translation, Cross-Cultural Adaptation And Validation Of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome Quality Of Life Scale In Pashto.

BACKGROUND: Cross-cultural adaptation and validation are important for the reliable use of a scale. This study was conducted to translate and validate the polycystic ovarian syndrome quality of life scale (PCOSQOL) in Pashto. METHODS: This study was conducted in tertiary care teaching hospitals of Peshawar from August to December 2021 on 333 patients diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome. Using forward-backward method, three bilingual experts translated PCOSQOL from English to Pashto. The exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, Cronbach alpha reliability and construct validity of PCOSQOL (Pashto version) was found out using SPSS version 25 and AMOS version 26 for data analysis. RESULTS: The mean age of the sample was 25.73±5.89 years. Majority were married (n=260, 78.1%), uneducated (n=180, 54.1%) and unemployed (n=303, 91%). Factorial validity of the Pashto version showed it to be a five-factor model. Regarding construct validity, the factor loading through Item total correlation scores revealed highly satisfactory correlation coefficients. The Cronbach's alpha reliability of the Pashto version of PCOSQOL was 0.918. The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) indicated a good fit model with a CFI of 0.91 and a RMSEA value of .08. Poor quality of life (89.98±28.5) was reported in 169 (50.8%) women and this was irrespective of their educational and occupational background (p>0.05) respectively. Pearson coefficient correlation test showed a significantly positive Inter-scale correlation (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Pashto version of PCOSQOL is a reliable instrument to measure the quality of life in patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome and can be used in Pashto speaking patients.

[Huayu Tongluo moxibustion combined with intradermal needling in patients with mild to moderate depression after cerebral infarction].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of Huayu Tongluo (resolving stasis and promoting collateral circulation) moxibustion combined with intradermal needling on depressive symptoms, quality of life and cognitive impairment in patients with mild to moderate depression after cerebral infarction on the basis of western medicine treatment. METHODS: Fifty patients with mild to moderate depression after cerebral infarction were randomly divided into an acupuncture combined with western medication group (group A, 25 cases) and a western medication group (group B, 25 cases). In the group B, paroxetine hydrochloride tablets were taken orally, 20 mg after breakfast, once a day, and the dose could be adjusted to the maximum 40 mg/d according to the patients' condition, for 4 weeks totally. On the basis of the treatment in the group B, the group A was treated with Huayu Tongluo moxibustion, namely aconite cake-separated moxibustion at Baihui (GV 20) and suspended moxibustion at Dazhui (GV 14) and Shenting (GV 24), combined with intradermal needling at Shenmen (HT 7), Jianshi (PC 5), Zusanli (ST 36), etc. Huayu Tongluo moxibustion was performed 6 times a week, and intradermal needling was performed 3 times a week，for 4 weeks totally. In the two groups, the scores of Hamilton depression scale (HAMD), stroke specific quality of life scale (SS-QOL) and mini mental state examination (MMSE) were observed before and after treatment, and the clinical efficacy and safety were compared. RESULTS: After treatment, the HAMD score in the each group was decreased compared with that before treatment (P<0.05), and that in the group A was lower than the group B (P<0.05); after treatment, the SS-QOL score in the group A and MMSE score in the two groups were increased compared with those before treatment (P<0.05), and the SS-QOL score in the group A was higher than the group B (P<0.05). The total effective rate was 88.0% (22/25) in the group A, which was higher than 60.0% (15/25) in the group B (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups (4.0% [1/25] vs 16.0%[4/25], P>0.05). CONCLUSION: On the basis of the treatment of western medication paroxetine hydrochloride tablets, Huayu Tongluo moxibustion combined with intradermal needling therapy can effectively improve the depressive symptoms, quality of life and cognitive impairment of patients with mild to moderate depression after cerebral infarction.

Long-term follow-up in patients with brain arteriovenous malformation based on the Quality of Life Scale and socioeconomic status.

OBJECTIVE: Intracranial haemorrhage (ICH) is associated with permanent neurological disability resulting in deterioration of the quality of life (QoL). Our study assesses QoL in patients with ruptured arteriovenous malformation (AVM) in long-term follow-up at least five years after ICH and compares their QoL with the QoL of patient with non-ruptured AVM. METHODS: Using the Quality of Life Scale (QOLS), the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for depressive symptoms, and the socioeconomic status (SES), a prospective assessment was performed. The modified Rankin Scale (mRS) was assessed for outcome. RESULTS: Of 73 patients, 42 (57.5%) had ruptured (group 1) and 31 (42.5%) a non-ruptured AVM (group 2). Mean follow-up time was 8.6 ± 3.9 years (8.5 ± 4.2 years in group 1 and 8.9 ± 3.7 years in group 2). Favourable outcome (mRS 0-1) was assessed in 60 (83.3%) and unfavourable in 12 (16.7%) patients. Thirty-one of 42 patients (73.8%) in group 1 and 29 of 30 patients in group 2 (96.7%) had favourable outcomes. Mean QOLS was 85.6 ± 14.1 (group 1 86.1 ± 15.9, group 2 84.9 ± 11.4). Patients in group 1 did not show a significant difference in QoL compared to patients in group 2 (p = 0.23). Additional analyses in group 2 (rho = - 0.73; p < 0.01) and in untreated AVM patients (rho = - 0.81; p < 0.01) showed a strong correlation between QOLS and PHQ-9. CONCLUSION: Long-term follow-up showed no difference in the QoL between patients with and without ICH caused by brain AVM. Outcome- and QoL-scores were high in both groups. Further studies are necessary to evaluate depression and anxiety symptoms in patients with AVM.

The construction of a new Clinical Quality of Life Scale (CLINQOL).

Whilst the variables in quality of life and well-being can be separated into objective and subjective domains, there remains a dearth of multiple utility instruments that assess their impact upon quality of life. To address this, ten domains were identified in a preliminary exploratory literature search, and an exploratory review generated enough facets to represent each domain, with items developed to form a composite scale. A principal components analysis run on data collected from 210 participants produced seven factors: relationships, work, money, health, leisure, and life management, with the remaining four domains subsuming into a seventh composite subjective factor (mental state). Final items were collated into the new Clinical Quality of Life Scale (CLINQOL) and were tested against the Assessment of Quality of Life Instrument, the Personal Wellbeing Index-Adult, Positive and Negative Affect Scale, the Satisfaction with Life scale, and the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale. The CLINQOL demonstrated suitable reliability, with items within each category forming internally consistent subscales. The full scale score demonstrated satisfactory test-retest reliability and concurrent validity, correlating with all measures. Findings suggest that the CLINQOL captures critical clinical factors, and may be an acceptable instrument to assess quality of life and well-being.

Cross-Sectional Analysis of Burnout, Secondary Traumatic Stress, and Compassion Satisfaction Among Emergency Nurses in Southern California Working Through the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion satisfaction scores in emergency nurses after working through the COVID-19 pandemic using the Professional Quality of Life Scale version 5 and compare those scores with similar studies conducted before the pandemic. METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis of a descriptive survey including the Professional Quality of Life Scale version 5 questionnaire was sent to nurses working in the emergency department before 2021 from urban, adult, and pediatric receiving hospitals in Southern California. Results were analyzed to provide insight into the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the levels of burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion satisfaction compared with prepandemic studies found in the literature using the same Professional Quality of Life Scale version 5 instrument. RESULTS: Mean subcategory scores were in the moderate range for burnout (25.6), secondary traumatic stress (24.5), and compassion satisfaction (38.7). Burnout scores for midshift nurses were found to be significantly higher than day shift nurses (mean difference 5, P = .02) as were secondary traumatic stress scores (mean difference 4.6, P = .007). In addition, compassion satisfaction subcategory scores in nurses with 1 child living at home were significantly higher than those with 2 (mean difference 6.7, P = .02). DISCUSSION: The unnormalized mean findings were similar to prepandemic studies conducted using the same Professional Quality of Life Scale version 5 instrument indicating nurses are at risk of compassion fatigue. In addition, the scores from midshift nurses reflect increased burnout and secondary traumatic stress whereas nurses with 2 children had lower compassion satisfaction. This implies the need for leadership to proactively seek interventions to support nurses on each shift.

Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation in Chronic Subjective Tinnitus.

OBJECTIVE: It is aimed to determine the therapeutic role of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on chronic subjective tinnitus with a randomized and comparative analysis. METHOD: 46 individuals with normal hearing, chronic subjective tinnitus, aged 20-65; randomly divided into the study (TENS therapy) and tje control groups. The control group (n = 23) was informed only about tinnitus, while the study group (n = 23) received TENS therapy (20 sessions in 4 weeks). Before TENS therapy, tinnitus-related evaluations of all participants [tinnitus frequency, loudness, minimum masking level (MMS), residual inhibition (RI)] were made and Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Short Form 36 (SF-36), and The Quality of Life Scale were applied to the participants. These evaluations and questionnaires were repeated after 4 weeks of the therapy. RESULTS: There was a significant decrease in the tinnitus severity after TENS therapy in the study group (p = 0.003). Moreover, it was found that VAS (loudness and annoyance), THI (functional, emotional and total score), SF-36 (physical function, physical role, pain, general health, vitality, emotional role and social function) values improved compared to before TENS therapy and the difference was significant (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the first and last evaluations of the control group (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: TENS is an effective, practical and reliable therapy method in reducing severity, loudness, and annoyance of tinnitus, and increasing the quality of life in individuals with chronic subjective tinnitus.

Long-term efficacy, prognostic factors, and safety of deep brain stimulation in patients with refractory Tourette syndrome: A single center, single target, retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the long-term efficacy, prognostic factors, and safety of posteroventral globus pallidus internus deep brain stimulation (DBS) in patients with refractory Tourette syndrome (RTS). METHODS: This retrospective study recruited 61 patients with RTS who underwent posteroventral globus pallidus internus (GPi) DBS from January 2010 to December 2020 at the Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital. The Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS), Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (YBOCS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome Quality-of-Life Scale (GTS-QOL) were used to evaluate the preoperative and postoperative clinical condition in all patients. Prognostic factors and adverse events following surgery were analyzed. RESULTS: Patient follow up was conducted for an average of 73.33 ± 28.44 months. The final postoperative YGTSS (32.39 ± 22.34 vs 76.61 ± 17.07), YBOCS (11.26 ± 5.57 vs 18.31 ± 8.55), BDI (14.36 ± 8.16 vs 24.79 ± 11.03) and GTS-QOL (39.69 ± 18.29 vs 78.08 ± 14.52) scores at the end of the follow-up period were significantly lower than those before the surgery (p < 0.05). While age and the duration of follow-up were closely related to prognosis, the disease duration and gender were not. No serious adverse events were observed and only one patient exhibited symptomatic deterioration. CONCLUSIONS: Posteroventral-GPI DBS provides long-term effectiveness, acceptable safety and can improve the quality of life in RTS patients. Moreover, DBS is more successful among younger patients and with longer treatment duration.

The Czech version of the Utian Quality of Life Scale questionnaire assessing women's quality of life during menopause.

Introduction: Menopause is a physiological process, forming a part of a lifetime that most women go through. This period of life is briefly described by experts as a triple transformation: biological, social, and psychological. For menopausal women, health care professionals can use one of 10 specific questionnaires to assess health-related quality of life and its symptoms. The authors herein speak about the preparation of a Czech version of one such questionnaire - the Utian Quality of Life Scale (UQOL). Material and methods: A Czech version of the UQOL was created by repeated and backward translation. It was validated on a sample of 204 women after natural menopause (45-65 years old). We judged the reliability of the Czech version of UQOL using Cronbach's a. We assessed the instrument's validity by means of confirmation factor analysis. Results: The authors modified the original version of the UQOL. The Czech version has 4 new domains with 18 items. This form was created using the results of confirmation factor analysis. Conclusions: The Utian Quality of Life Scale questionnaire is completed by the women themselves, thus meeting the golden rule of all quality-of-life research stating that the primary source should be data from the client him/herself. However, this requirement raises some methodological problems.

The Minimal Important Difference of the Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life (FIQL) Questionnaire for Patients with Posterior Compartment Prolapse: A Prospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVES: The minimally important difference (MID) of the Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life (FIQL) scale has never been determined. Thus, in this study, we aimed to estimate the MID of the Japanese FIQL for patients with posterior compartment prolapse (PCP). METHODS: For 3-months after surgery, we followed a prospective cohort of 136 patients with PCP combined with fecal incontinence (FI) who had undergone ventral rectopexy between 2012 and 2018. Usable data from 114 patients were analyzed. Patients have both completed the FIQL and the 36-Item Short Forum Health Survey (SF-36) before and after surgery. Distribution-based MID values were estimated at 1/2 SD and the standard error of measurement (SEM) for domain and total scores across time points. Changes in the domain scores anchored to changes in a SF-36 overall health assessment question were used to estimate anchor-based MID. To be interpreted as true change, the median, anchor-based MID values that were greater than the corresponding SEM were proposed as estimates of the MID for the FIQL. RESULTS: Distribution-based MID of 1/2 SD for each domain and total score ranged between 0.3 and 0.4, whereas SEM ranges were between 0.2 and 0.3. The anchor-based approach resulted in the median MID estimates of 0.4 to 1.0. Final estimates of MID for each FIQL and total score were as follows: lifestyle (0.6-1.1), coping/behavior (0.8-1.4), depression/self-perception (0.4-0.8), embarrassment (1.0-1.6), and total score (0.7-1.1). CONCLUSIONS: The results provide a basis for clinically important differences in FIQL scores after surgery for patients with PCP and FI.

Reliability and validity of the Stroke and Aphasia Quality of Life Scale-39 (SAQOL-39) for a Serbian population.

Purpose: Aphasia has a negative impact on a person's quality of life (QOL). The Stroke Aphasia Quality of Life-39 scale (SAQOL-39) is a widely-used measure of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) developed for people with aphasia that has been translated into several languages. Its psychometric properties have been examined not only in English, but also in other languages. This study examined the reliability and validity of a translation and adaptation of the SAQOL-39 into Serbian in Serbian-speaking people with aphasia.Method: Using forward and backward translation, the SAQOL-39 was translated and adapted from English into Serbian and its psychometric properties were examined in 90 Serbian-speaking people with a broad range of times post-onset of aphasia. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability and other analyses were conducted.Result: Internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the Serbian version was high (Cronbach's α > 0.9; ICC ≥0.87), which is similar to versions of the scale in other languages.Conclusion: The Serbian translation and adaptation of the SAQOL-39 was shown to be a valid and reliable measure of QOL in people with aphasia with reliable psychometric properties and is suitable for the assessment of Serbian people with aphasia.

Is there a relationship between occupational noise and hearing levels, sleep quality, and QoL of the factory workers?

OBJECTIVES: We assessed the hearing level, sleep quality, depression status, and life quality of the employees. METHODS: The research group contains 380 (56.7%) of 669 employees working in the factory. We used a questionnaire, noise measurement (2016), pure tone audiometry test results of (2015, 2016). SF-12 (short form), mini sleep questionnaire (MSQ), and Beck depression scale. RESULTS: The employees' mean working period is 13.5 ± 11.9 years. The mean ambient noise level of the factory is 75.5 ± 7.3 dB. We detected hearing loss at 18.6% and 23.2% in 2015 and 2016, respectively. The frequency of hearing loss is 4.7% at the employees working below 85 dB and 27.8% percent at the employees working above 85 dB. Mean working period of the employees with hearing loss (19.7 ± 11.7 years) is higher than mean working period of the employees without hearing loss(13.2 ± 11.8 years) (p < .0.05). The 27.8% of the employees working above 85 dB are used to earmuffs, 44.4% of them sometimes use earmuffs; 38.9% of them are used to earplug; and 44.4% of them sometimes use earplug. Back depression scales showed 31.1% minimal, moderate, or severe depression. The sleep quality of employees working above 85 dB is worse than the others (p < 0.05). SF-12 QoL scores were 39.41 ± 5.59 (physical health) and 36.10 ± 7.76 (mental health). There was not a statistically significant association between scale scores and ambient noise level and hearing level of the workers (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: We suggest the use of personal protective equipment. Working in the noise above 85 dB affected workers' sleep quality to be poorer.