peripheral arterial disease ; health-related quality of life ; Social support ; Family support ; Medical staff support ; Disease-related knowledge
Abstract
This study was designed to examine the factors that influence the health-related quality of life in patients with peripheral arterial disease. The average scores of the patients’ disease-related knowledge and of the social support were relatively high, while that of the health-related quality of life was relatively low. The health-related quality of life was significantly higher in patients having graduated from university than from middle school and in those with coronary artery disease, and had significant correlations with the years of diagnosis, Rutherford's
classification, rest pain, walking pain, medical staff support, and family support. A multiple linear regression showed that the health-related quality of life had significant associations with walking pain, the length of diagnosis, medical staff support, and rest pain. The regression model explained 38.4% of the health-related quality of life. To improve patients’ health-related quality of life, there is a need to relieve pain and to strengthen the support they receive.