Quality of life and associated factors in patients with heart failure

Background: Heart failure is a chronic and exacerbating disease, which often significantly decreases patient quality of life (QOL). Treatments continue to focus on alleviating the physical symptoms of this disease, and data on QOL factors are limited. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore QOL and associated factors in patients with heart failure. Methods: A cross-sectional and correlational research design was conducted using the Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory-II, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment. A convenience sample of 200 patients aged 20 years old or above and diagnosed with heart failure were recruited from one medical center and one regional teaching hospital in southern Taiwan. Data were analyzed using SPSS 14.0 software. Results: Results found (1) participants had an average QOL index score of 63.0 (moderate); (2) significant differences in QOL scores for the variables of marriage, occupation type, monthly family income, concomitant diabetes / hypertension, number of complications, and treatment type; (3) participants had an average index score for symptoms of 54.1 (moderate) that was significantly correlated with QOL; (4) a majority of participants were classified in NYHA Class II, mean score of depression was 9.13 ± 6.25 (normal), and functional status and depression were significantly related to QOL; and (5) 59.3% of QOL variance was explained by depression, symptoms and family income per month. Conclusions: This study may help health professionals to understand relationships among symptoms, functional status, depression and QOL in heart failure patients. It may also provide healthcare professionals evidence-based data necessary to further improve symptoms, functional status and depression in heart failure patients, and thus significantly improve QOL in patients with heart failure.