title: Differences in health-related quality of life between Roma and non-Roma coronary heart disease patients: the role of hostility.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to assess differences in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) between Roma and non-Roma coronary heart disease (CHD) patients, and whether differences in hostility contribute to this association.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined 570 CHD patients (mean age 57.8, 28.1 % female) scheduled for coronary angiography, 88 (15.4 %) of whom were Roma. Hostility was measured using the 27-item Cook-Medley Scale and HRQoL using the Short-Form Health Survey 36, from which the mental and physical component summary (MCS, PCS) were calculated. The relationship between ethnicity, hostility and HRQoL was examined using regression analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Roma ethnicity was associated with poorer MCS (B = -3.44; [95 % CI = -6.76; -0.13] and poorer PCS (B = -4.16; [95 % CI = -7.55; -0.78]) when controlled for age, gender and socioeconomic status. Adding hostility to the model weakened the strength of the association between Roma ethnicity and MCS (B = -1.87; [95 % CI = -5.08; 1.35]) but not between Roma ethnicity and PCS (B = -4.07; [95 % CI = -7.50; -0.64]).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Roma ethnicity is associated with poorer MCS and PCS. Hostility may mediate the association between Roma ethnicity and MCS. The poorer HRQoL of Roma CHD patients requires attention in both care and research, with special attention on the role of hostility.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine, Graduate School Kosice Institute for Society and Health, Safarik University, Trieda SNP 1, 040 11, Kosice, Slovak Republic, silarova.barbora@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Barbora
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Silarova
authors.forename: Jitse P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: van Dijk
authors.forename: Iveta
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nagyova
authors.forename: Jaroslav
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rosenberger
authors.forename: Sijmen A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Reijneveld
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D018154:Slovakia; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires