Effects of cognitive function and depressive mood on the quality of life in Chinese Alzheimer's disease patients in Hong Kong.
OBJECTIVE
In view of the paucity of data on the quality of life (QOL) in Chinese Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, we investigated the effects of cognitive function and depressive mood on QOL among our Chinese AD patients in Hong Kong, using the Cantonese Chinese version of Quality of Life in Alzheimer's disease (QOL-AD).


METHODS
This was a cross-sectional study. The Cantonese Chinese version of QOL-AD was adapted from the Mandarin Chinese and English versions of QOL-AD, and was administered to 111 AD patients and their caregivers.


RESULTS
The Cantonese Chinese version of QOL-AD showed good internal consistency, test-retest and inter-rater reliability. The patients' and caregivers' reports of QOL-AD were moderately correlated (r=0.516, P<0.001). Both QOL-AD scores from patient and caregiver reports varied significantly in relation to the severity of cognitive impairment, being lowest in the subgroup with Mini-Mental State Examination scores of 10 or less. The mean QOL-AD scores from both patient and caregiver reports were also significantly lower in the depressed (Geriatric Depression Scale [GDS] scores≥15) than non-depressed groups (GDS scores≤15) (QOL-AD patient report 23.8 and 34.2, respectively, P<0.001, Student's t-test; QOL-AD caregiver report 28.9 and 31.0, respectively, P<0.05, Student's t-test). General linear model analyses showed that only the MMSE and GDS scores were independent significant factors associated with the patient but not the caregiver reports of the QOL-AD.


CONCLUSIONS
Among Chinese AD patients in Hong Kong, depressive mood and low MMSE score adversely affect the QOL-AD from the patient but not the caregiver perspectives.
Chan
Ivy Wai-Ping
IW
Department of Occupational Therapy, Castle Peak Hospital, LKS Faculty of Medicine, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
Chu
Leung-Wing
LW
Lee
Peter W H
PW
Li
Siu-Wah
SW
Yu
Ka-Kui
KK
D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology*; D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D044466:Asian People; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*