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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2023 May 16;18(5):e0278728.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278728. eCollection 2023.

Clinical characterization and factors associated with quality of life in Long COVID patients: Secondary data analysis from a randomized clinical trial

Mario Samper-Pardo  1 , Sandra León-Herrera  1   2 , Bárbara Oliván-Blázquez  1   2   3 , Santiago Gascón-Santos  1   2 , Raquel Sánchez-Recio  1   4
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Clinical characterization and factors associated with quality of life in Long COVID patients: Secondary data analysis from a randomized clinical trial

Mario Samper-Pardo et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Background: Long COVID patients suffer a negative impact on their quality of life, as well as their functioning, productivity or socialization. There is a need to better understand the individual experience and circumstances surrounding these patients.

Objective: To characterize clinical picture of Long COVID patients and to identify factors associated with quality of life.

Methods: A secondary data analysis from a randomized clinical trial (RCT) was carried out with 100 Long COVID patients treated by Primary Health Care and residents in the territory of Aragon (northeast of Spain). The main variable of the study was quality of life, evaluated using the SF-36 Questionnaire, in relation to socio-demographic and clinical variables. In addition, ten validated scales were used that contemplated their cognitive, affective, functional and social status, as well as personal constructs. Correlation statistics and linear regression model were calculated.

Results: Long COVID patients suffer a decrease in their levels of physical and mental health. On the one hand, the higher number of persistent symptoms (b = -0.900, p = 0.008), worse physical functioning (b = 1.587, p = 0.002) and sleep quality (b = -0.538, p = 0.035) are predictors of worse quality of life, physical subscale. On the other hand, higher educational level (b = 13.167, p = 0.017), lower number of persistent symptoms (b = -0.621, p = 0.057) and higher affective affectation (b = -1.402, p<0.001) are predictors of worse quality of life, mental subscale.

Conclusion: It is necessary to design rehabilitation programs that consider both the physical and mental health of these patients, thus obtaining an improvement in their quality of life.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Description of persistent symptomatology, frequency and intensity.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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