The identification of attention complaints in the general population and their effect on quality of life.
OBJECTIVE
To provide more insight into subjective attention complaints in a healthy adult and elderly population and how these affect Quality of Life (QoL).


METHODS
A group of 1,550 healthy Dutch participants complete a postal questionnaire including items from the Maastricht Attention and Memory Checklist (MAC). The impact of attention complaints on QoL is investigated in a subsample of 499 participants.


RESULTS
Factor analysis (N = 1,550) reveals two factors: Attention and Memory. Attention complaints are related to depressed mood, anxiety, vitality, and sleep problems that can have serious consequences for daily life functioning and QoL (n = 499). Memory complaints are related to other aspects of health, such as pain and changes in health.


CONCLUSIONS
Attention complaints in the healthy population are common and related to depression, anxiety, and sleep and several aspects of QoL, such as problems with social functioning, emotional problems, and vitality.
Maastricht University Hospital (azM), The Netherlands. d.indebraek@np.unimaas.nl
Dymphie M J M
DM
Scholtissen-In de Braek
Petra P M
PP
Hurks
Martin P J
MP
van Boxtel
Jeanette B
JB
Dijkstra
Jelle
J
Jolles
D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires