title: IMPACT OF COMORBIDITY AND SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS ON QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC DISEASES WHO ATTEND PRIMARY HEALTH CARE CENTRES.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to analyse the impact of chronic disease on the quality of life (QoL) and how QoL changes with comorbidity and socioeconomic status in persons who attend primary health care centres.
  
  
  METHODS
  The group of participants comprised 2,560 people who contacted six primary health care centres in Ankara. The level of QoL was determined by the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire Abbreviated Version (WHOQOL-BREF).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mental disorders and diabetes-hypertension comorbidity had the most negative effect on the QoL. In the physical domain of the WHOQOL-BREF, the effect of diabetes-hypertension comorbidity is greater than the additive effect of hypertension and diabetes individually. The co-occurrence of any disease with cardiovascular disease does not change QoL within any domain, except for the co-occurrence of any disease with musculoskeletal diseases which deteriorated QoL in the physical domain. The higher income and socioeconomic status corresponded to higher QoL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The effect of comorbidity on QoL can be different from the additive effects of the co-occurring diseases. Socioeconomic factors undoubtedly affect the relationship between chronic diseases and QoL, and this relationship points to health inequities among socioeconomic groups.
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tüzün
authors.forename: Sefer
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aycan
authors.forename: Mustafa Necmi
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: İlhan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology