title: Quality of life in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: importance of clinical, demographic and psychosocial factors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Inflammatory bowel disease causes physical and psychosocial consequences that can affect the health related quality of life.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the relationship between clinical and sociodemographic factors and quality of life in inflammatory bowel disease patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety two patients with Crohn's disease and 58 with ulcerative colitis, filled in the inflammatory bowel disease questionnaire (IBDQ-32) and a questionnaire to collect sociodemographic and clinical data. The association between categorical variables and IBDQ-32 scores was determined using Student t test. Factors statistically significant in the univariate analysis were included in a multivariate regression model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  IBDQ-32 scores were significantly lower in female patients (P<0.001), patients with an individual perception of a lower co-workers support (P<0.001) and career fulfillment (P<0.001), patients requiring psychological support (P = 0.010) and pharmacological treatment for anxiety or depression (P = 0.002). A multivariate regression analysis identified as predictors of impaired HRQOL the female gender (P<0.001) and the perception of a lower co-workers support (P = 0.025) and career fulfillment (P = 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The decrease in HRQQL was significantly related with female gender and personal perception of disease impact in success and social relations. These factors deserve a special attention, so timely measures can be implemented to improve the quality of life of patients.
authors.affiliation: Gastrentroenterology Department, Centro Hospitalar do Alto Ave, E.P.E., Guimarães, Guimarães, Portugal.
authors.forename: Joana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Magalhães
authors.affiliation: Gastrentroenterology Department, Centro Hospitalar do Alto Ave, E.P.E., Guimarães, Guimarães, Portugal.
authors.forename: Francisca Dias de
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.affiliation: Gastrentroenterology Department, Centro Hospitalar do Alto Ave, E.P.E., Guimarães, Guimarães, Portugal.
authors.forename: Pedro Boal
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.affiliation: Gastrentroenterology Department, Centro Hospitalar do Alto Ave, E.P.E., Guimarães, Guimarães, Portugal.
authors.forename: Maria João
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.affiliation: Gastrentroenterology Department, Centro Hospitalar do Alto Ave, E.P.E., Guimarães, Guimarães, Portugal.
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cotter
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000523:psychology*; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult