J Korean Acad Fundam Nurs.  2007 Aug;14(3):331-339.

Quality of Life and Related Factors in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis B

• Kim KS
• Yi M
• Choi EO
• Paik SW
• Kwak S
• Kwon SH

Abstract

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate LDQOL (Liver Disease Quality of Life) and its related factors of patients with Hepatitis B. METHOD: A cross-sectional descriptive study. The LDQOL was formally translated to Korean and reliability was examined. One hundred thirty eight patients following gastroenterology outpatient clinic of S. hospital in Seoul, Korea participated.
RESULTS
The mean age of the patients was 45.43 years and 87.7% were men. The mean score of LDQOL was 77.34, and mean scores of subscale were followed; symptom of liver disease (SxLD) (82.12), effect of liver disease (ELD) (25.50), concentration (Conc) (84.47), memory (Mem) (83.24), health discomfort, (HD) (75.18), sexual function (SFun) (75.71), sexual problem (SProb) (84.70), Loneliness (85.50), Hopeless (67.43), and stigma of liver disease (SLD) (91.64). Women had a lower LDQOL score for Loneliness (p=.034), and over 45 year-old patients had a lower LDQOL overall score (p=.000). Patients who were HBV carriers, or who had Chronic Hepatitis B or Liver Cirrhosis reported lower QOL respectively (p=.032).
CONCLUSION
Although the liver disease itself seemed to be stable, patients with HBV experienced poor QOL in ELD, SProb, SFun, and Hopeless. Therefore nursing interventions in these aspects are needed.

Keyword

Hepatitis B; Quality of life

MeSH Terms

Ambulatory Care Facilities
Female
Gastroenterology
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B, Chronic*
Hepatitis, Chronic*
Humans
Korea
Liver Cirrhosis
Liver Diseases
Loneliness
Male
Memory
Middle Aged
Nursing
Quality of Life*
Seoul