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HEALTH RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG PERSONS 65 YEARS OR OLDER WITH CHRONIC HEART FAILURE: AN EMPIRICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL STUDY

Franzén, Kristofer LU (2007) In Lund University Faculty of Medicine Doctoral Dissertation Series 2007:7.
Abstract
The aim of this thesis was to empirically and methodologically investigate health related quality of life (HRQoL) among persons 65 years or older with chronic heart failure. The design was cross-sectional and the sample was recruited from a southeast region of Sweden. The sample included 357 respondents in Paper I, II and IV and 349 respondents in Paper III. For all respondents the mean age was 79 years. Collection of data was through use of a questionnaire that included demographic data, self-rated disease severity, the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure (LHFQ), the Short Form-12 Health Survey (SF-12) and the Interview Schedule for Social Interactions (ISSI). Univariate, bivariate and multivariate statistical methods were used to analyse... (More)
The aim of this thesis was to empirically and methodologically investigate health related quality of life (HRQoL) among persons 65 years or older with chronic heart failure. The design was cross-sectional and the sample was recruited from a southeast region of Sweden. The sample included 357 respondents in Paper I, II and IV and 349 respondents in Paper III. For all respondents the mean age was 79 years. Collection of data was through use of a questionnaire that included demographic data, self-rated disease severity, the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure (LHFQ), the Short Form-12 Health Survey (SF-12) and the Interview Schedule for Social Interactions (ISSI). Univariate, bivariate and multivariate statistical methods were used to analyse data.



The empirical results demonstrated that the impact of chronic heart failure on daily life was extensive. Physical limitations due to chronic heart failure were rated to be more common and have a higher impact on daily life compared to emotional limitations, even though these limitations were also common. In addition, physical and emotional dimensions of HRQoL correlated significantly with each other (Paper I). Age, sex, comorbidity, living accommodation and cohabiting had a subordinate role in explaining variations in HRQoL when analysed together with self-rated disease severity in multiple regression analyses. Self-rated disease severity was the only predictor related to all HRQoL outcomes (Paper II). Low rated social network and social support demonstrated relationships to low HRQoL in emotional and physical dimensions (Paper III). The methodological results demonstrated that overall the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire has satisfactory psychometric properties among persons 65 years or older, when the instrument was tested according to classical test theory. However, there were two methodological concerns with the results. The first concern was the high frequency of internal missing values for the two items that asked about difficulties in performing sexual and leisure activities. These finding may indicate such items were not viewed as appropriate by this age group. Another concern was that discriminant validity could not be established for the physical and emotional subscales (Paper I). In contrast, the Rasch analysis revealed that the original physical and emotional subscales lacked unidimensionality, lacked in targeting, that the response scales did not work as intended and that four items demonstrated differential item functioning for sex and/or age (Paper IV).



In conclusion, even though physical limitations were most common and had greatest impact on daily life, the relationship between physical and emotional dimensions of HRQoL implies an effect on each other. Thus, both physical and emotional limitations related to chronic heart failure are equally important to highlight for nurses to recognize when caring for elderly persons in order to improve their HRQoL. While the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire demonstrated satisfactory validity and reliability according to classical test theory, the Rasch analysis revealed a need for further development in the physical and emotional subscales in order to measure HRQoL in a sound psychometric way among persons 65 years or older. (Less)
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author
supervisor
opponent
  • Associate professor Strömberg, Anna, Linköping University
organization
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Gerontologi, Gerontology, Validation, Social support, Social network, Nursing, Elderly, Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire, Health related quality of life, Chronic heart failure
in
Lund University Faculty of Medicine Doctoral Dissertation Series
volume
2007:7
pages
164 pages
publisher
Department of Health Sciences, Lund University
defense location
Hörsal 1, Vårdvetenskapens hus, Baravägen 3, Lund
defense date
2007-02-12 13:00:00
ISSN
1652-8220
ISBN
91-85559-59-8
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Kristofer Franzén, Kerstin Blomqvist and Britt-Inger Saveman. 2006. Impact of chronic heart failure on elderly persons´ daily life: A validation study. European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, vol 5 pp 137-145.
Kristofer Franzén, Britt-Inger Saveman and Kerstin Blomqvist. 2006. Predictors for health related quality of life in persons 65 years or older with chronic heart failure. European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, (inpress)
Kristofer Franzén, Kerstin Blomqvist and Britt-Inger Saveman. 2006. Social network and social support and their relation to health related quality of life among persons 65 years and older with chronic heart failure. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, (submitted)
Kristofer Franzén, Kerstin Blomqvist, Curt Hagquist and Britt-Inger Saveman. 2006. Investigation of unidimensionality and differential item functioning of the subscales in the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire in persons 65 years or older. Quality of Life Research, (submitted)
The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Caring Sciences (Closed 2012) (016514020)
id
efb7d863-52b0-45ed-bc9d-fb5d7242ac41 (old id 547971)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 17:07:39
date last changed
2019-05-21 22:03:55
@phdthesis{efb7d863-52b0-45ed-bc9d-fb5d7242ac41,
  abstract     = {{The aim of this thesis was to empirically and methodologically investigate health related quality of life (HRQoL) among persons 65 years or older with chronic heart failure. The design was cross-sectional and the sample was recruited from a southeast region of Sweden. The sample included 357 respondents in Paper I, II and IV and 349 respondents in Paper III. For all respondents the mean age was 79 years. Collection of data was through use of a questionnaire that included demographic data, self-rated disease severity, the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure (LHFQ), the Short Form-12 Health Survey (SF-12) and the Interview Schedule for Social Interactions (ISSI). Univariate, bivariate and multivariate statistical methods were used to analyse data.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
The empirical results demonstrated that the impact of chronic heart failure on daily life was extensive. Physical limitations due to chronic heart failure were rated to be more common and have a higher impact on daily life compared to emotional limitations, even though these limitations were also common. In addition, physical and emotional dimensions of HRQoL correlated significantly with each other (Paper I). Age, sex, comorbidity, living accommodation and cohabiting had a subordinate role in explaining variations in HRQoL when analysed together with self-rated disease severity in multiple regression analyses. Self-rated disease severity was the only predictor related to all HRQoL outcomes (Paper II). Low rated social network and social support demonstrated relationships to low HRQoL in emotional and physical dimensions (Paper III). The methodological results demonstrated that overall the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire has satisfactory psychometric properties among persons 65 years or older, when the instrument was tested according to classical test theory. However, there were two methodological concerns with the results. The first concern was the high frequency of internal missing values for the two items that asked about difficulties in performing sexual and leisure activities. These finding may indicate such items were not viewed as appropriate by this age group. Another concern was that discriminant validity could not be established for the physical and emotional subscales (Paper I). In contrast, the Rasch analysis revealed that the original physical and emotional subscales lacked unidimensionality, lacked in targeting, that the response scales did not work as intended and that four items demonstrated differential item functioning for sex and/or age (Paper IV).<br/><br>
<br/><br>
In conclusion, even though physical limitations were most common and had greatest impact on daily life, the relationship between physical and emotional dimensions of HRQoL implies an effect on each other. Thus, both physical and emotional limitations related to chronic heart failure are equally important to highlight for nurses to recognize when caring for elderly persons in order to improve their HRQoL. While the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire demonstrated satisfactory validity and reliability according to classical test theory, the Rasch analysis revealed a need for further development in the physical and emotional subscales in order to measure HRQoL in a sound psychometric way among persons 65 years or older.}},
  author       = {{Franzén, Kristofer}},
  isbn         = {{91-85559-59-8}},
  issn         = {{1652-8220}},
  keywords     = {{Gerontologi; Gerontology; Validation; Social support; Social network; Nursing; Elderly; Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire; Health related quality of life; Chronic heart failure}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Department of Health Sciences, Lund University}},
  school       = {{Lund University}},
  series       = {{Lund University Faculty of Medicine Doctoral Dissertation Series}},
  title        = {{HEALTH RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE AMONG PERSONS 65 YEARS OR OLDER WITH CHRONIC HEART FAILURE: AN EMPIRICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL STUDY}},
  volume       = {{2007:7}},
  year         = {{2007}},
}