Health-Related Quality of Life and Associated Variables in People With Physical Disabilities

Abstract

Background/objective: Despite the potential impact of a physical disability on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), few methodologically rigorous investigations on the topic have been conducted. The objective of this study was to determine the potential impact of HRQoL and associated factors in people with physical disabilities. Methods: The participants were 479 people with physical disabilities (56.8% women, mean age = 52.3 years). HRQoL domains (i.e., physical health, psychological health, social relationships and environment) were assessed using the World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF); as well as the sociodemographic, disability, and clinical variables. Results: The predictors for the various domains were as follows: physical domain: ethnicity, employment status, medication use, depression, reward, extraversion, and psychoticism; psychological domain: employment status, anxiety, depression, and purpose; social relations domain: employment status, depression, reward, neuroticism, social support, empowerment, optimism and self-esteem; and environment domain: monthly economic income, depression, reward, neuroticism, extraversion, rational problem-solving skills, social support, and empowerment. Conclusions: These findings highlight the need to develop evidence-based programs to promote HRQoL in this population that address the specific predictors within each domain, reduce symptomatology predictive of worse HRQoL; and increase psychological and social resources to better support HRQoL.