title: Factors associated with health-related quality of life among patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillator: identification of foci for nursing intervention.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore factors associated with health-related quality of life of patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Substantial evidence indicates that implantable cardioverter defibrillator is proven to increase survival rate by terminating life-threatening arrhythmia. However, this device can negatively affect health-related quality of life. Little is known about factors associated with health-related quality of life of patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators, particularly in Asian population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A transversal descriptive design was used.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected from a convenience sample of 139 adult patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators from 4 January-30 April 2012 using the structured questionnaires administered by the researcher and medical record reviews. The Short Form-36 Health Survey version 2 was used to measure health-related quality of life.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 139 Chinese patients, including 107 (77·0%) males with a mean age of 63·0 (14·6) years, were selected. The physical component summary was relatively lower, whereas the mental component summary was relatively higher than that of the general Hong Kong Chinese population. Multivariable regression analysis revealed gender, self-care dependence, educational level, atrial fibrillation, diabetes mellitus, anxiety and depression significantly associated with physical or mental quality of life.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Depression was a common factor affecting physical and mental quality of life. Self-care dependence, atrial fibrillation, diabetes mellitus, depression and anxiety could be improved. Our findings expand existing knowledge on identifying at-risk patients for having lower quality of life, thus allowing development of appropriate interventions targeting risk factors for improving health-related quality of life of patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillator.
authors.affiliation: The Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Nethersole School of Nursing, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Florence Mei Fung
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Janet Wing Hung
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Sit
authors.forename: Eliza Mi Ling
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Kai Chow
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Choi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000208:ethnology*; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000451:nursing / Q000628:therapy; D044466:Asian People / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D064646:Cardiovascular Nursing / Q000379:methods; D016757:Death, Sudden, Cardiac / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017147:Defibrillators, Implantable / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012648:Self Care; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: associating factors; cardiac nursing; implantable cardioverter defibrillator; intervention; quality of life; sudden cardiac death