Quality of Life of People With Intestinal Ostomies and Associated Factors

Abstract

Objective: to assess the quality of life of individuals with intestinal ostomies and its association with sociodemographic and clinical factors. Method: a cross-sectional and correlational study conducted between August 2019 and December 2021, involving individuals with intestinal ostomies registered at the Orthotics and Prosthetics Service of the Municipal Health Department of São Luís-Maranhão. The questionnaires used included a sociodemographic one, a clinical one, and the City Of Hope - Quality Of Life - Ostomy Questionnaire (COH-QOL-OQ). The statistical analyses were conducted using the SPSS Statistics 20.1 software for Windows, with a 5% significance level. Normality was verified using the Shapiro-Wilk test, and the correlations between independent and dependent variables were assessed using paired t-tests. Results: the sample consisted of 154 participants, mostly men (62.6%), with a mean age of 49.94 years old and Incomplete Elementary School (35%). The majority had colostomies (81.2%), temporary (61%), and cancer as etiology (47.4%). In terms of quality of life, the mean scores for the spiritual well-being domain (8.45) stood out, followed by the physical (4.05), psychological (5.85) and social (6.33) domains. The association between sociodemographic/clinical factors, and quality of life was statistically significant (p≤0.05) for religion, schooling, type and characteristics of the household, ostomy permanence and complications, post-ostomy employment, presence of spouse, physical activity, and access to health services. Etiology of the ostomy was found to be significantly associated with the physical (p=0.03), psychological (p=0.01) and social (p=0.01) domains, as well as overall (p=0.05). Conclusion: the study revealed a significant association for the physical, psychological, social and spiritual domains, impacting the quality of life and care practices for individuals with ostomies and their families.