Health Related Quality of Life and Associated Factors Among Adult Patients with Rheumatic Heart Disease Patients in Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Quality of life (QOL) is defined as "individuals" perceptions of their position in life. Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is a consequence of severe, single, or recurrent bouts of acute rheumatic fever. To improve overall patient outcomes, there is currently a greater emphasis on assessing the QOL of these patients. The purpose of this study is to assess the QOL of adult RHD patients who had followed up at St Peter and Tikur Anbessa Hospital, Ethiopia. Methods: An institutional-based cross-sectional study done at St Peter and Tikur Anbessa Hospital, Ethiopia from March 1−June 30/ 2021 in adult RHD patients. The sample size was 297. Socio-demographic and clinical data were collected using a structured questionnaire. The Amharic version of Short form-36 (SF-36) was used to assess the QOL. A logistic regression model was used to identify associated factors. Results:The study included 297 patients. The majority are female (71%), and half of them are aged between 18−30 years of age. Of the patiends, 81.1% had no comorbidity, and 15.8% had interventions. RHD affects all domains and summary scores of short form 36 QOL parameters compared to normative values. Age, marital status, place of residence, presence of comorbidity, number of medications, and whether an intervention was done are associated with the QOL of these patients. Conclusion: RHD patients had poor QOL assessed by SF-36. It affects all domains and summary score of short form 36 QOL parameters. Old age, divorce, living in rural areas, associated comorbid conditions, and no intervention done are associated with poor QOL. Identification and treating comorbid conditions and intervention may improve QOL.

Challenges Faced and Lessons Learned: The Journey of a 22-Year-Old Male with a Mechanical Heart Valve Complicated by Ischemic Stroke in a Developing Country: A Sub–Saharan Africa Prospect

“…In resource-poor nations such as ours, patient education serves as a barometer of socioeconomic status and patients with rheumatic heart disease in rural Ethiopia have a lower quality-of-life. 15 , 16 …”

“…In resource-poor nations such as ours, patient education serves as a barometer of socioeconomic status and patients with rheumatic heart disease in rural Ethiopia have a lower quality-of-life. 15,16 There are no reports from low-to-middle income countries about such patients that signifies the potential gap between the diagnostic challenge they face from the beginning then the referral chain system and pre-and post-cardiac surgery communication between the referring and accepting institution and additionally the risk assessment model for such patients. Our case is a waving signal that taught us patients from rural Ethiopia having a cardiac surgery need to have a rigorous health education before the surgery and the need to develop a risk assessment model with further research.…”