Examining Factors Related to Health-Related Quality of Life in People With Parkinson's Disease

Abstract

Purpose: Parkinson's disease (PD) results in a range of dysfunctions and disabilities as it progresses to later stages. All these not only affect a patient's physical well-being but also emotional, social, and spiritual well-being. To tailor interventions that can address these concerns, this study aimed to examine the impacts of PD on their health-related quality of life (HRQOL).

Design: A cross-sectional study with 123 PD patients.

Methods: Measures included the following: Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Unified PD Rating Scale-Motor Examination, Hoehn and Yahr Stage, PD Questionnaire-8. Associating factors of HRQOL was examined using stepwise linear regression.

Findings: Psychological distress and functional impairment are significantly associated with the HRQOL of the PD population. Psychological distress is associated most to the variance of HRQOL (42.4%).

Conclusion: Considering that PD is chronic, rehabilitation programs should be applied to address not just functional but also psychosocial needs of PD patients.

Clinical relevance: Early recognition and management of psychological distress in PD patients is indispensable to promote their HRQOL.