title: Gender differences and quality of life in atrial fibrillation: the mediating role of depression.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated gender differences, depression, and health-related quality of life (QoL) in a cross-sectional sample of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF).
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study involved a convenience sample of AF patients from two tertiary-care clinics in Toronto, Canada. Ninety-three AF patients completed psychometrically validated measures of generic QoL and depression. Mediation analyses evaluated the relationship between gender and QoL using depression as mediating variable.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Relative to male patients, female patients reported lower physical, but not mental, QoL. Gender was associated with both depression and physical QoL, while depression was correlated with poorer physical QoL. Path analyses demonstrated that depression significantly mediated the relationship between gender and physical QoL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among AF patients, female patients report lower physical QoL relative to male patients, and this relationship may be mediated by self-reported symptoms of depression. Albeit correlational, the findings underscore the need to develop a better understanding of the role of depression in physical QoL, especially when considering the burden of AF in women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Canada. lephuong@yorku.ca
authors.forename: Lephuong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ong
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Irvine
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nolan
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cribbie
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Newman
authors.forename: Iqwal
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mangat
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dorian
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology*; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires