Living with cystic fibrosis: Impact on global quality of life
Background
Because of better health care, most people with cystic fibrosis (CF) now survive into adulthood, raising issues related to quality of life. Few studies have focused on satisfaction with broader life domains in people with CF. The aim of this article was to examine the impact of living with CF from a global quality of life perspective.
Methods
The sample consisted of 86 adults with CF recruited from the Norwegian Competence Centre for Cystic Fibrosis and a control group of 1021 individuals from the general population (GP). The Norwegian version of the Quality of Life Scale was used to measure global quality of life (satisfaction with broader life domains) in both groups.
Results
The mean global quality of life score was 84.88 for the CF group and 83.33 for the GP group. This difference was significant after controlling for age, sex, educational level, and marital status, indicating that people with CF have better global quality of life. The groups also differed significantly on other specific measures of life satisfaction. Persons with forced expiratory volume in 1 second values below 30% of predicted values reported the lowest mean global quality of life value.
Conclusions
These results suggest the existence of a type of response shift in the CF group through changes in life standards and goals. However, people with CF who have low forced expiratory volume in 1 second values may need special attention from health care professionals on issues related to global quality of life.
aOslo University College, Faculty of Nursing, Oslo, Norway
bUniversity of Bergen, Department of Public Health and Primary Health Care, Bergen, Norway
cDepartment of Behavioural Sciences in Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
Reprint requests: Astrid K Wahl, Oslo University College, Faculty of Nursing Education, PO Box 4, St Olavsplass, 0130 Oslo, Norway
The Norwegian Cystic Fibrosis Association and the Norwegian Nurse Association provided financial support.
ABSTRACT