2015, Volume 21, Issue 3

Selected Psychological Factors as Predictors of Quality of Life in Patients with Chronic Diseases of the Musculoskeletal System During Rehabilitation

Marian MACANDER¹, Katarzyna DENYS², Krzysztof ZBORALSKI², Paweł DENYS³
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¹Department of Flight Safety, Military Institute of Aviation Medicine
²Adult Psychiatry Clinic, Medical University of Lodz
³Orthopaedic, Traumatology & Rehabilitation Clinic, Medical University of Lodz


Autor korenspondencyjny: Marian MACANDER; Department of Flight Safety, Military Institute of Aviation Medicine; email: mmacander[at]wiml.waw.pl

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Streszczenie

Introduction:

Quality of life is an important variable that has remained a very popular measure in medical and psychological research since it was fi rst described in 1960s. Measurement of quality of life is mostly used for the assessment of improvement in patients with chronic diseases. Quality of life measures add a subjective aspect, expressed by the patient, to the objective assessments performed by physicians. Osteoarthritis is a group of chronic conditions in which biological and mechanical factors lead to progressive degeneration of the articular cartilage and the underlying bone tissue.

Method

The aim of the study was to assess the infl uence of selected independent variables on the quality of life in patients with chronic musculoskeletal disorders undergoing rehabilitation. We used the following tools: A self-made survey - basic sociodemographic data; SF-36 Questionnaire, AIS - Acceptance of Illness Scale by B.J. Felton, T.A. Revenson, and G.A. Hinrichsenin as adapted by Z. Juczynski, MHLC - Multidimensional Health Locus of Control by K.A. Wallston, B.S. Wallston, R. DeVellis as adapted by Z. Juczynski, BPCQ - Beliefs About Pain Control Questionnaire as adapted by Z. Juczynski, WOMAC - Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index, and CISS - Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations by N.S. Endler and J.D.A. Parker.

Results

The predictors of quality of life in the studied patients were determined. Statistically significant variables were: styles of coping with stress in stressful situations - task oriented style, emotion-oriented style and avoidance-oriented style; internal locus of health control, disease acceptance and everyday functioning.

Discussion

Our results are, to some extent in line with previous research which confi rmed that osteoarthritis decreased quality of life, primarily due to pain, stiff ness and limitations
of physical function.

Conclusions

The multiple regression models showed that signifi cant predictors of quality of life in patients with osteoarthritis were disease acceptance, coping strategies in difficult situations, internal locus of health control and everyday functioning.

Słowa kluczowe

osteoarthritis, predictors of quality of life, quality of life