title: A mixed-methods evaluation of health-related quality of life for male veterans with and without intestinal stomas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Intestinal stomas have a major impact on Cases' lives. It is essential to better understand the areas in which interventions may help to minimize the negative consequences.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a case-control survey study using validated instruments (City of Hope Quality of Life-Ostomy and Short Form 36 for Veterans). Cases were accrued from Veterans Affairs Medical Centers in Tucson, Indianapolis, and Los Angeles. Eligibility included a major intra-abdominal surgical procedure that led to an ostomy (cases), or a similar procedure that did not mandate a stoma (controls). Analysis included quantitative and qualitative responses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response rate was 48 percent (511/1,063). Cases and controls had relatively similar demographic characteristics. Because of low numbers of female respondents (13 cases and 11 controls), only results for males are reported. Based on both the City of Hope Quality of Life-Ostomy and Short Form 36 for Veterans, cases reported significantly poorer scores on scales/domains reflecting psychologic and social functioning and well being. Additionally, cases reported poorer scores on Short Form 36 for Veterans scales reflecting physical functioning and significantly lower scores on multiple items in the social domain of the City of Hope Quality of Life-Ostomy compared with controls. Two-thirds of cases replied to an open-ended question on their "greatest challenge" related to their ostomy, which led to further clarification of major issues.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Multiple health-related quality of life problems were reported by male veterans with intestinal stomas. The greatest differences between cases and controls were observed in the social and psychologic domains/scales. Findings from this study provide a greater understanding of the challenges faced by ostomates and will inform the development and evaluation of urgently needed intervention strategies.
authors: Southern Arizona Veterans Affairs Health Care System, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, Arizona, USA. robert.krouse@va.gov
authors: Robert S
authors: RS
authors: Krouse
authors: Marcia
authors: M
authors: Grant
authors: Christopher S
authors: CS
authors: Wendel
authors: M Jane
authors: MJ
authors: Mohler
authors: Susan M
authors: SM
authors: Rawl
authors: Carol M
authors: CM
authors: Baldwin
authors: Stephen Joel
authors: SJ
authors: Coons
authors: Ruth
authors: R
authors: McCorkle
authors: Clifford Y
authors: CY
authors: Ko
authors: C Max
authors: CM
authors: Schmidt
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004766:Enterostomy / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007410:Intestinal Diseases / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology*