title: Change in quality of life of medically hospitalized patients--a one-year follow-up study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine changes in quality of life (QOL) among elderly medically hospitalized patients one year after hospitalization, and to explore factors associated with the changes.
  
  
  METHODS
  A one-year follow-up study included 363 (175 men) medical inpatients with age range 65-98 (mean 80.2, SD 7.5) years. Information was collected at baseline and follow-up using the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire assessing the physical, psychological, social and environment domain of QOL as the dependent variable, and the Mini-Mental State Examination, Lawton and Brody's scales for physical self-maintenance and instrumental activities of daily living, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale and assistance in living as the independent variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean score of the physical domain of QOL had increased (mean change 0.6, SD 2.5; p < 0.01); the mean score of the environmental domain had decreased (mean change -2.1, SD 1.2; p < 0.01); and, the mean scores of the psychological and social domains of QOL were unchanged (mean change -0.2, SD 1.8 and mean change -0.1, SD 1.5, respectively) at follow-up. Improved individual QOL at a one-year follow-up was associated with improved health (cognitively, physically and emotionally) after hospitalization, and with health situation at baseline. Being in need of assistance was associated with reduced QOL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Good cognitive, physical and emotional health at baseline and follow-up were associated with improved QOL in previously hospitalized elderly patients independent of their need for assistance in living.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and General Practice, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway. anne-sofie.helvik@ntnu.no
authors.forename: Anne-Sofie
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Helvik
authors.forename: Knut
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Engedal
authors.forename: Geir
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Selbæk
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003071:Cognition; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome