title: Psychosocial factors as predictors of quality of life in chronic Portuguese patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic illnesses are diseases of long duration and generally of slow progression. They cause significant quality of life impairment. The aim of this study was to analyse psychosocial predictors of quality of life and of subjective well-being in chronic Portuguese patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Chronic disease patients (n = 774) were recruited from central Portuguese Hospitals. Participants completed self-reported questionnaires assessing socio-demographic, clinical, psychosocial and outcome variables: quality of life (HRQL) and subjective well-being (SWB). MANCOVA analyses were used to test psychosocial factors as determinants of HRQL and SWB.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After controlling for socio-demographic and clinical variables, results showed that dispositional optimism, positive affect, spirituality, social support and treatment adherence are significant predictors of HRQL and SWB. Similar predictors of quality of life, such as positive affect, treatment adherence and spirituality, were found for subgroups of disease classified by medical condition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The work identifies psychosocial factors associated with quality of life. The predictors for the entire group of different chronic diseases are similar to the ones found in different chronic disease subgroups: positive affect, social support, treatment adherence and spirituality. Patients with more positive affect, additional social support, an adequate treatment adherence and a feel-good spirituality, felt better with the disease conditions and consequently had a better quality of life. This study contributes to understanding and improving the processes associated with quality of life, which is relevant for health care providers and chronic diseases support.
authors.affiliation: Sciences Department, School of Technology, Polytechnic Institute of Cávado and Ave (IPCA), Barcelos, Portugal. evilhena@ipca.pt.
authors.forename: Estela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vilhena
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pais-Ribeiro
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Luísa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pedro
authors.forename: Rute F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Meneses
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cardoso
authors.forename: António Martins
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.forename: Denisa
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mendonça
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008659:Metabolic Diseases / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000523:psychology; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000523:psychology; D010551:Personality; D011174:Portugal / Q000453:epidemiology; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011584:Psychology; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012944:Social Support; D029181:Spirituality; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires