The effects of age and gender on the quality of life of people with chronic back pain in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

Purpose: Quality of life (QOL) is an important area of research in many scientific disciplines, and the findings could help in designing strategies to improve QOL for various clinical conditions. Chronic low back pain is a frequent medical condition that has a detrimental effect on QOL. The goal of this study was to examine the QOL of people with chronic low back pain in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH), and to assess the impact of demographic variables such as age and gender on the QOL. Methods: The study sample consisted of 50 people with low back pain, between 19-79 years of age (mean age 51.2, SD-13.1 years). There were 35 females (70%) and 15 males (30%) in the sample. The instrument used for measuring the QOL was World Health Organisation Quality of Life scale BREF (WHOQOL BREF). Results: The study demonstrated that low back pain has a detrimental effect on QOL. There was a significant effect of age and gender on certain domains of QOL. Conclusions: Older age is a risk factor for lower QOL of people with chronic low back pain. Females are more likely to have lower scores on the psychological domain of QOL,and therefore need effective psychological interventions aimed at improving their QOL.