title: Quality of life in stoma patients in Poland: multicentre cross-sectional study using WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous studies on quality of life of patients with stoma in Poland included small groups of respondents and were based either on the non-validated questionnaires created ad hoc, or on the disease-specific oncologic questionnaires.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess quality of life of Polish patients with a stoma using validated generic questionnaire.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adult patients with colostomy, ileostomy or urostomy performed in Poland between July 2009 and March 2010 were included. Patients completed satisfaction survey at the discharge from the hospital, and The World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) generic questionnaire at 3 months after surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study involved 737 patients (71%, 18%, 11% with colostomy, ileostomy and urostomy, respectively). The studied population was highly diversified in terms of: dependence on medical treatment, pain and discomfort, satisfaction with health and acceptance of physical appearance. 59% of patients with a stoma defined their quality of life as very good or good (mean 3.56 points; range: 1 to 5; SD 0.74). The subjects were characterized by low quality of life assessment in the physical health and psychological domains (52.9 and 60.1 pts.) and by high evaluation in the environment and social relationships domains (69.7 and 70.1 pts.). Respondents highly assessed: the level of social support, home environment, physical environment, personal relationships. Low assessment was related to: sexual activity, ability to work, dependence on medical treatment, financial resources, satisfaction with health.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Quality of life in patients with a stoma, assessed at three months after the surgery, is higher when compared to typical patients hospitalized in the internal medicine ward. Identified quality of life limitations relate in particular to sexual life.
authors: Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland. dominik.golicki@gmail.com
authors: Dominik
authors: D
authors: Golicki
authors: Przemyslaw
authors: P
authors: Styczen
authors: Marek
authors: M
authors: Szczepkowski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003125:Colostomy / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007081:Ileostomy / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011044:Poland; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D054047:Surgical Stomas; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016476:Urinary Reservoirs, Continent; D013520:Urologic Surgical Procedures / Q000523:psychology; D014944:World Health Organization