“…There have been many stud ies of the qual ity of life (QOL) of patients in other coun tries, most of them being cross-sectional stud ies (Catipovic-Veselica et al, 1990;Deharo et al, 1996;Hummel, Barr, Hanich, McElroy, & Brinker, 1990;Koide, Kobayashi, Kitani, Tsunematsu, & Nakazawa, 1994;Lamas et al, 1998;Lau et al, 1999;Lau et al, 1994a;Lau et al, 1994b;Linde-Edelstam, Nordlander, Unden, Orth-Gomer, & Ryden, 1992;Lukl, Doupal, & Heinc, 1994;Mitsuoka et al, 1988;Oto et al, 1991;Parsonnet, 2000;Sulke, Cham bers, Dritas, & Sowton, 1991). QOL is a sub jec tive per cep tion that var ies with race, cul ture, and value sys tems.…”